Drabble Anthology
by you.broke.a.promise
Summary: Drabbles. There is a countless amount scheduled, pairings vary. Requests are welcomed !
1. Bound

**Title:** Bound

**Chapter: 1-** Bound Part I

**Warning:** Humor. Excessive. Possible romance.

**Disc.:** Unfortunately for me, I do not own NARUTO or any of the characters, but I do own this story. I think.

**Dist.:** Bah. Same as always.

**A/N:** I had this thought about like, a jutsu that could make our two favorite shinobi stick together for a month against their will, and here's what came out. I'm sure there's been others like this one, with jewelry, and such. One of my favorite stories is called _Laying Claim _and in it, Sakura puts on a necklace that she can't take off. It seems that Sasuke bought her, and she now has to bend to his will! You should read it. I'm still waiting for an update. -ahem-

**SxS**

Uchiha Sasuke was_ not_ a morning person.

In fact, he hated getting up any time before noon. It was just unacceptable. He only tolerated it because it was to train, and training was honing his skills to kill his brother. But now, at the ripe and fresh age of twenty, Sasuke could proudly call himself the lone wolf. Er, _Uchiha_.

That's right, Uchiha Itachi was deceased.

So, in other words, he no longer tolerated early mornings, or the sound of pounding on his door at 8am. And the thing was, that they didn't even _have_ training today.

Extremely angry, he sat up and stomped his way to the front door. Once there, he ripped it open, his brain already brewing countless insults to send to his mouth. Whoever was on the other side was in for a rude awakening. To his annoyance, no one was there. The only sign that told him he hadn't imagined the knocking was a small red box with a white symbol on it.

Cursing loudly, he picked up the box and went back inside.

**SxS**

Haruno Sakura, however, was perfectly fine with getting up early. It was in her DNA. Everyday at 7:30am she'd get up and shower, and then have her morning tea.

It was exactly 8am when someone rang her doorbell.

Putting on her cheery face, the pink haired woman went eagerly to the front door to see who it was. She knew it couldn't be Naruto, he'd pound on the door and then walk right in. It couldn't be Sasuke, he had never _ever _used her doorbell, and preferred to scare her senseless with his smirk after knocking on her window.

So who could it be?

"Ohayo," She said, opening the door, but frowned when she noticed there was no one there. She was about to close the door again and forget about the whole thing when something caught her eye. A little blue box.

She bent down and picked it up. After examining it for a moment, she could only identify one thing on it, and that was the symbol. It was an uchiwa. The Uchiha fan.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Looking up, she spotted her orange clad knuckle headed friend.

"Hey Naruto," She responded, looking back down at the box. Why would someone deliver a box with an _Uchiha_ clan symbol on it to _her_ house? She wasn't an Uchiha.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked, stopping at her gate, cocking his head to the side, "I thought you'd make me ramen this morning?" He pushed out his bottom lip and widened his eyes, making them sparkle. The puppy dog face.

Sakura kept her eyes on the box. "We need to go see Sasuke."

"Teme? Nande?"

"Look," She said, shoving the box in Naruto's face, "It's got to be his, he's the only Uchiha left."

"Why do you have that?" Naruto asked stupidly.

"This is why we have to go see him," Sakura said, exasperated, "Someone left this on my doorstep this morning."

"Oh," Naruto was still looking at the box in his teammate's hands.

**SxS**

"TEME! WAKE UP!" Sakura and Naruto had been standing at Sasuke's door for over twenty minutes, and Naruto was getting very aggravated. "Sasuke-bastard, I swear to Kami I will kick down your god damn door-"

The door swung open, "Do it and die."

Sasuke was standing there, his hair mussed it different directions, and Sakura swore he had sleepies in his eyes. He was wearing a pair of dark blue plaid pyjama pants and a baggy navy t-shirt.

As soon as he spotted Naruto, he slammed the door.

"TEME!" Naruto's face was turning red, "OPEN THE DOOR!"

"WHAT?" Sasuke roared as the door was ripped open again. Sakura winced, she was sure the door would be ripped off it's hinges soon.

"Ohayo, Sasuke," Sakura said quietly and stepped past him into his house, followed by Naruto. Sasuke gave them death glares. Once she and Naruto were safely inside, she produced the small box. "Someone left this on my doorstep this morning," She said, referring to the object in her hand, "It has your clan symbol on it."

Sasuke's glare lessened as he bent to examine it, and his brow furrowed as he looked at the fan. A look of surprise spread over his face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He grunted and disappeared down the hallway, only to come back a minute later with a red and white box.

"Someone left this here at 8 this morning," Sasuke grumbled, "It's got the Haruno circle."

She held out his box and he held out hers. The second their hands exchanged boxes, a bright flash of color and light filled the space they were standing in and all three occupants were throw about the room.

"Ow," Naruto complained, rubbing his head and opening his eyes. The two blue orbs landed on his teammates who were sprawled side by side, examining their wrists. He could see something one them...

"Bound," Sakura muttered, looking at the character that was plastered on her skin, "It won't come off."

Sasuke grunted again, "What the hell is going on?"

Sakura shook her head, waiting for Ino to pop out laughing hysterically, claiming she got them and telling them how funny their faces looked. Sadly for her, Ino didn't appear.

"That was cool," Naruto said finally, grinning, "Do it again."

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered, "It was bad."

"I guess I should go to the Hokage," Sakura sighed, standing up, "I'll come back later and tell you what she said," She was looking at Sasuke, who nodded.

Sakura then made a beeline for the door, but yelped in pain when she got out of arms length of Sasuke. He too groaned, and they both dropped to the floor. Naruto watched all this with wide confused eyes.

"Guys?"

They were too busy trying to understand what was going on, and Sasuke moved a little closer to Sakura and they both let out sighs. It was too weird.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Sasuke growled, rubbing his forehead.

"I don't know but I didn't like it at _all_," Sakura complained, standing up and grabbing onto Sasuke's shoulders for support. A tingle went down her spine, and Sasuke seemed to shiver but they both ignored it. "I can't leave," Sakura muttered, staring at the symbol on her wrist.

"Teme," Naruto hissed, "What did you do to Sakura-chan!?"

"I didn't do anything, dobe," Sasuke muttered, glaring at anything and everything.

"Well then explain why Sakura-chan can't leave your house!"

"Like I know," the dark-haired boy scoffed.

"Sasuke," Sakura said, a twinkle in her eye, "You try."

So the boy did. He went to the door, he opened it. And when he tried to step out, a sharp pain shot up his leg and he hissed in pain, and heard Sakura grinding her teeth. He stepped back, and the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Okay," Sakura said after a minute of silence, "Now Naruto."

Naruto shrugged and went out without a problem.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, "Go get Kakashi and the Hokage."

"Oi, Teme, why should I do that?"

"Because we're trapped here," Sakura explained, "These tattoos are keeping us from leaving the house."

"Aa," Sasuke agreed, and Naruto frowned, watching the whole thing and deciding to comment.

"It's like whoever did this _wants_ you guys to repopulate Teme's clan, geez."

Sakura turned red and Sasuke's fist came down painfully on Naruto's poor unsuspecting head. "Go get them, _now_," He growled at Naruto.

Rubbing his head, Naruto ran out the door.

**SxS**

When Kakashi, Naruto and Tsunade arrived at the Uchiha's door, Sakura and Sasuke were just standing there awkwardly, with a gloomy air around them. Sakura was across the room, sitting in the corner, leaning on the wall and Sasuke was lounged out on his couch, ignoring her entirely.

"What's the problem?" Tsunade asked, everyone in the room could smell the sake on her breath.

"This is the problem, Tsunade-sama," Sakura said, jumping up and shoving her wrist under the Hokage's nose, "I can't leave."

"Oh," Tsunade said, studying the character, "Bound... I know what this is. It's a binding jutsu. Engaged couples used to use it to test their love. If they could last it, then they knew they'd have a tolerable marriage," Tsunade said, looking at the two ninjas with a curious expression.

"That's just great, "The Uchiha muttered, "How do you release it?"

"You can't," Tsunade dead-panned watching the two warily, "You have to wait it out."

"For how long?" Sakura asked, a worried look in her eyes, "I have patients to attend to."

"Well, Sakura, your patients will have to wait," Tsunade informed her, "It takes about a month."

"A MONTH?" Sasuke roared, causing Kakashi, who hadn't said anything to chuckle.

"You should calm down, Sasuke," The jounin informed him, "This gives you a chance to_ bond_ with your teammate."

Sakura, who hadn't been paying attention, missed the glint in Kakashi's eye as he said this. The tips of Sasuke's ears turned red and he glared at the copy nin.

"You've read too many porn novels," Sasuke grunted, "They've gone to your brain."

Kakashi just laughed.

"The distance between you will fluctuate. At times, you will be able to be at separate ends of the house, and at other times, you will have to be within arms length. I suggest you share a room. The jutsu can change at anytime, which does mean when you're sleeping. If it does, and you're in separate rooms when you need to be at arms length, you will probably pass out from physical pain," Tsunade said, looking at Sasuke.

"Ano, you can't be serious, shishou," Sakura squeaked, looking at Sasuke worriedly, "Sasuke..."

"It's fine," He said stiffly, "You will be looking for whoever sent us these?" Sasuke asked the Hokage, handing her the two open boxes.

"Yep. I'll put Hyuuga Neji, Tenten and Inuzuka on it."

Sasuke didn't look satisfied with this, but said nothing.

"Naruto," Sakura said, turning to the blonde, "Go tell Ino to go to my house and pack me some clothes," She ignored the look that Sasuke gave her.

"Sure, Sakura-chan! Sasuke-bastard," Naruto warned, "Don't touch Sakura-chan," and then he was off.

"Don't worry," Tsunade said as she and Kakashi were leaving, "I'll give you a month's paid vacation," She smiled, "Don't waste it."

Sakura grimaced.

And as the door shut behind the blonde Hokage and the copy nin, Tsunade let out a low chuckle, "The things that happen to those two..."

**SxS**

Well, this is another one of those drabble-ish things. Yay! There will be a second part. Probably 5 parts.

Anyway, there's number one. Joy-o-joy.


	2. You

**You**

He'd been gone for years. Eight to be exact. And life had gone on. Through their sorrow, through their determination, through their hatred, their failure, their separation. The world kept turning, and they kept growing. All of them.

And Naruto was angry. He was disappointed. But he was glad, it meant there was hope. Hope that one day, he would return, hope that one day, they would reform their team.

Sakura was baffled. Confused, startled, happy, sad. She was so many things at once, she couldn't think or breath correctly. Perhaps fate was kidding, screwing with them. But she couldn't rememeber what she had done to deserve such a curse. Or maybe such a gift. She had never been overly mean or overly kind. She had been average. Shy, angry, outgoing, happy, violent, gentle. She had been this and that.

So how had she ended up five months pregnant?

Oh. Yes, that's right. She had been cocky. A little _too_ cocky.

She had been sent on an assassination mission, just five months ago. Down to the land of Waves she had gone. After completing this mission she had checked into a small motel, eager to wash the blood she had concealed beneath her cloak.

But before she could get there, a woman had approached her. Sakura was positive she'd seen her somewhere, if only she could rememeber...

"Look, Lady," Sakura frowned, the woman was very rude, "Before you even go getting ideas, he's mine. So don't touch him. Or even _look _at him." She ran a hand through the even, neat, brushed side of her hairstyle.

"Who?" Sakura had asked, confused and offended. Angry, almost.

"_Him_." The girl nodded in the other direction where a figure was standing, his back to her. "He was watching you earlier."

"Who is that?"

"_Sasuke-kun_."

Sakura's heart just about stopped. She knew she shouldn't do something stupid. But how could she not? So she punched the girl, her glasses broke and she went flying in the opposite direction. Sakura very angrily stomped towards the figure, fist raised.

"Uchiha Sasuke!"

And when he turned, she fell head over heels all over again.

Somehow, he had talked her into his bed. When she woke, he was gone. And she was pregnant. She damned him and thanked him all at once. Damned him for not being there, thanked him for giving her a piece of him to keep, even if he perished. Damned him for being such an expressionless bastard, and thanked him for being at the same motel.

But she was a twenty year old woman, not married. And her only income was from being a ninja and working at the hospital as a medic-nin. So how could she possibly have a baby and work?

Damn him.

She would manage though. And it turned out, when five months came along and her belly was as swollen as a beach ball, he had dragged himself and his team members through the Konoha gates.

Thank god.

Only, he hadn't seen her. He had gone straight to the hospital, and then was to be put on trial for abandoning Konoha. He was a missing-nin and an S-Class criminal.

She didn't know what she'd expected. She hadn't expected him to come running to her. She knew he wouldn't be executed. As the last known Uchiha, Konoha was responsible for protecting the clan and it's kekkai genkai.

And by the time he was out, she was eight months along, ignoring him, his team and the world. Life was going on, just as it was meant to. Until he showed up on her doorstep, staring at her.

"I know, if it looks like a beached whale and feels like a beached whale..."

"...Who...?" He asked, stoic expression. He was asking who got her this way. He was so expressionless about it...But that didn't last long. She said one word, and his facial expression changed drastically.

"_You._"

**SxS**

**Vauge. But I was having a blank day. And I had a blank page to go with my blank mind. So.. There you go. Enjoy the vauge-ness. Requests? Uhm, Bound II will be up soon.**


	3. Bound II

Bound Part II

Sasuke and Sakura were avoiding conversation. The situation was awkward enough, and they didn't want to make it any worse.

Ino had appeared to drop off Sakura's things an hour before and left after about thirty pointless questions. Which left Sakura and Sasuke alone in the Uchiha main house.

"There's some space in the dresser and some room in the closet," Sasuke pointed out. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Sakura just nodded.

When she had finished her task, she had joined Sasuke in the kitchen, who was sitting at the table eating slices of tomato.

"Uh, Sasuke?"

He grunted, but kept his eyes elsewhere.

"Why do you think someone would want us to be... bound together?"

He glared at her, "I have no idea. Someone wanted to get off on seeing us... interact," He said blankly, and the conversation reached an end. Naruto had appeared some two hours later, uno cards in hand, and forced the two to play the game with him.

At 10 Sasuke had kicked Naruto out of the house.

Sakura had disappeared into the 'their' room, apparently to go to sleep. They had silently agreed to not touch each other, and pretend that sleeping in the same bed wasn't awkward. Sasuke had stayed up and gone to train in his indoor training area.

After training until 2am, he threw himself quietly into bed next to her, and slept until he smelled something he hadn't smelled since the day his mother died.

**Breakfast.**

He sat up and looked around, his dark eyes finally falling on his wrist, where the character for 'Bound' watched him like a hawk.

After taking a short shower, he found his guest in the kitchen, tomato cheese omelets and onigiri on the table. The look on his face made her laugh.

"What?" She asked, taking a bite of a chunk of tomato, knowing it would make him hungry, "Don't you want any breakfast?"

He scowled at her, "Where'd you get all this food?" It hadn't been in his refrigerator, that he knew for sure. Before he'd gone to bed, he'd eaten the last of the tomatoes, and wondered how they'd survive without groceries since neither of them could leave the house.

"Hinata-chan brought it over. I told her what we needed and she went to the market and got it. Nande?"

"Hn," He muttered, sitting down across from her and picking up a tomato, "What time is it?"

"11:00," She said, sipping some tea, "I didn't want to wake you up... again."

He ignored her and finished off an omelet.

"Look, Sasuke," She sighed, and he could see her trouble, "I can't live like this for a month. I need you to talk to me. Please."

He stared at her, "What is there to say?"

"Plenty."

"Hn."

"That is not a word, therefore, you can't use that as a response."

He glowered at her, "Tch. You're annoying."

She smiled, "It's my job."

She could've sworn she saw the ghost of a smile flicker across his face, but it was gone so fast she couldn't be sure she'd seen it at all. Instead, she stood and began to clean up. Behind her, Sasuke was stunned. Who knew Sakura was such a good cook? He wouldn't mind waking up to this everyday.

"So what should we do today?" She asked, another cup of tea in hand, "I think I want to watch movies. Do you mind?"

He shook his head and stood up, leading her to the living room. Without a problem, she found the movie collection, and he disappeared into the training area.

It was 2 o'clock when she called him out. Lunch was _served_.

He was really starting to like this.

After eating rice-balls with fried vegetables, both went back to their activities, only to eat dinner or make a trip to the bathroom.

At around 11 that night, Sasuke decided he'd had enough of training. Leaving the area, he walked towards the kitchen. As he passed the bedroom, he noticed the door was open, and that she wasn't asleep in the bed. The closer he got to the living room, the louder the sounds got. He could hear... moans?

"Sakura?"

The noises continued and Sasuke was getting agitated. He just kept hearing moans. What the _hell_ was **she** _doing_?

Shirtless, his fist unclenching and clenching again, Sasuke made it to his living room. His eyes fell on the t.v, and he could see.. Oh. He looked down at the couch, and found Sakura sleeping there, her hand around the remote.

He could also see her tear stains.

_What the...?_ He reached down and touched her, and a sharp tingle went up his arm. The tattoo on his wrist started tingling, "Sakura...?"

She didn't move, and he frowned. After shutting off the television, he turned back to where she was lying on the couch. Slowly, he removed the remote from her grasp and gently, or, as gently as he could, he picked her up off the couch. As soon as she was in his arms, his whole body felt like it was on fire, she made a noise, something in between a whimper and a moan, and he groaned. What the hell was happening?

"Sasuke..._kun_..." He froze, holding her, the_ damn suffix_... Her eyes opened, "Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn," he said quietly, and forced his tingling legs to move, he wanted so badly to kiss her, it was an urge he never had before. And he couldn't _deny_...he kinda liked it.

"Sasuke-kun, what's going on?"

"You fell asleep on the couch, it's fine," He said, reaching their room and setting her down.

"Sasuke?" The suffix was gone again...

"Aa."

"Thank you."

**SxS**

For the next week, it was totally awkward between the two shinobi. Sakura continued making three meals a day, and usually all three involved tomatoes somehow. Hinata would drop off groceries with Naruto every four days or so, Ino and Tenten would visit, and Kakashi would come over to make fun of them once or twice a week. Twice, Shikamaru and Neji had been dragged along with Ino and Tenten, and the two prodigies had gone off to train. Sasuke hadn't mentioned anything about the tingling he felt in his wrist and _lower_ places when he touched her, and she hadn't asked him why he'd been so nice.

But everytime they were in the same room, the air around them was tense and stuffy.

Once, at two in the afternoon when they were at separate ends of the house, the curse acted up. Sasuke was on the floor, clutching his neck, the black splotches decorating his skin, receding and then appearing again. Sakura had found him this way, and at that moment, the ink on her wrist began to tingle, then it began to burn, then sear and then she was running across the room, on her knees next to him, holding him until it went away.

But after that, back to awkward.

"Sasuke," Sakura said finally on the eighth day of staying with him, "I can't do this. You haven't spoken to me.. Looked at me... acknowledged me..."

He didn't respond.

So, she did the only thing she could do, she disappeared off to their room.

He sighed. It was for the better. He refused to take advantage of _anyone_. He wouldn't think about_ her _anymore, or ever again. She wouldn't be included in his _plan_. He couldn't do _that _to her. It would make her sacrifice things that were precious to her, and she had already given up so much for him...

No. He wouldn't.

Ever.

Later on that night, he had gone into the bedroom. She was lying down, apparently sleeping. He groaned inwardly. This couldn't go on for too long or he would end up taking advantage of her, and it would be bad. Silently, he moved over to his side of the bed and climbed in.

"_Sakura..."_

"_I love you more than anything!"_

"_Why?"_

"_Because, you're Sasuke. I love who you are, who you represent, the bravery you had as you worked to reach your goals. Your determination, your inner-strength. You saved me. You always saved me."_

_He was tingling, his whole body, and it was all coming from his wrist. He looked at it briefly and it flashed red-ish orange and then died back down to black. The feelings that were running through his veins, they were intense. Uncontrollable desire filled him and he grabbed Sakura by the shoulders... She loved him. She loved him for him, not for his money. Not out of pity, not because of his last name. Not because he was handsome, not because he was talented. She loved him for him._

And when Sasuke woke up, he hated himself.

Because as his dark eyes adjusted to the room, he noticed the whiteness of his sheets, the crispness, fresh feeling, the blissfulness and the warmth all over his body...and at last he noticed the pink hair and the flawless pale beautiful skin... Sakura... Who was sleeping across his chest, his arm draped around her...

And they were naked.

And as her jade eyes fluttered open, confusion and surprise filled them. The whole world came crashing down.


	4. Weak

This one's for **xteenuh102593 **who requested it! ;) It's not exactly what you described, sorry about that. If you don't like it, I'll try again, but for now, I liked it. Enjoy!

**Weak**

Sasuke wanted to die. For the first time in his nineteen years of existence, he wanted to be stabbed in the chest with his own katana, smashed through and through with Kakashi's Lightning Blade, punched in the face by Naruto with a side of Rasengan.

Anything would be better than this.

He sat in a hard plastic chair that was the color of gloom. Grey. It had a cushion, if you could even call it that, that was lumpy and un-naturally white. But he didn't care. He could only stare at the figure in the hospital bed.

He had been told that she'd attempted to kill herself. When he had asked why such a bubbly happy care-free girl would do such a thing, he recieved several glares. It wasn't until later that Kakashi had gently told him that after he left she had fallen deep into a depression. She hadn't eaten, hadn't slept. She'd only worried, cried, and worked.

It had gotten so bad, that when he had brushed them off after Sai's assassination attempt, they had returned home and she hadn't left her house. She locked herself in and only opened the door for Ino or when Kakashi or Naruto brought over groceries.

And then she had done it. She had stood blankly in the path of a rouge ninja on a mission while he advanced towards her. She didn't fight back, she didn't move, she just let him stab her several times. And when she finally fell unconscious, she had receded into the back of her brain and hadn't come back out. And now, here she was.

They said she was trapped in her own mind. They said she wasn't coming back. Naruto said she just couldn't live without him. Kakashi said that for once in his life, Naruto was right.

So here Sasuke sat. And he never moved. Well, at least not when anyone was in the room. Everytime someone came in, he was still in the chair, watching her, un-blinking. Once, a nurse had come into check on the patient, and was so sure that Sasuke was dead, she had checked for a pulse. He had snapped back to reality with a harsh glare in her direction. She had backed away, and a new nurse had been assigned to the room.

And then one day, she opened her eyes. Sasuke hadn't moved, just watched in shock as she looked around in confusion and sat up, her eyes focusing on his figure. And then her eyes had widened in surprise before they welled up with tears.

And he had stood, for the first time (to everyone who thought he never moved) in weeks, and strode slowly over to her bedside. And when he sat down, she stopped moving, her tears stopped flowing and she seemed to stop breathing. He stopped hearing the heart monitor, he stopped registering that it was beeping faster, and he stopped seeing everything else but her.

He could see that she'd panicked. He could see that she'd cracked. She was broken and there was nothing left to hold her together. But she was staring at him in shock, there was no light in her eyes...and she separated her lips, ones he'd been staring at for days... and she said,

"You're _not_ real."

He was taken aback, and this showed when his eyes widened a fraction of an inch. What was he supposed to say, 'Yes, I am too real!'? He mentally took a deep breath, "Sakura..."

She didn't respond. Instead, she continued staring at him, no emotion, no movement. He touched her hand, and she didn't flinch. Maybe he should find a doctor? H reached up and her eyes followed his hand until she couldn't see it anymore. Instead, she felt it on her face, but she didn't say anything.

"Gomen," He said finally, and her mouth curled into a small smile.

Her hand came up, and her eyes watched him without blinking. And when she touched him, he expected it to be soft like the rest of her. It wasn't.

_**SLAP.**_

It echoed through the room. Stunned, he didn't move. Instead, he stared at her blankly, trying to comprehend what had happened as she placed her hand back into her lap.

"It's a little late for sorry," She finally spoke.

Her voice was hoarse and coated with the remnants of her long sleep.

"Sakura..."

"Why are you here?" She choked out, watching him with wide apple green eyes. "Why are you haunting me? _Stop_ teasing me, Sasuke-kun."

He blinked at her, "Sakura, I'm here because you need me. I'm here because you... hurt yourself. Sakura, you need to understand that you're not sleeping anymore."

He reached over and touched her face again, "Say something only Sasuke-kun would know," She commanded.

"Like what?"

"Tell me what you said to me when you left."

He pulled his hand from her face and looked down, guilty. Closing his eyes he said, "I said... thank you."

She gasped, flinching away from him.

"Sakura..."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I'm so sorry."

"Stop it," He commanded, his façade threatening to fall, "Stop saying that."

"I was weak," She continued, "I couldn't handle it. I couldn't breathe right anymore."

"Sakura..."

"I'm sorry I'm so weak, Sasuke-kun, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I was too weak to help you. I'm sorry I was too weak to be anything. I'm sorry I was too weak to stop you from leaving... to stop you from making a mistake. I'm sorry I was too weak to bring you back..."

"You're not weak," He said carefully, "I am."

"You? No...never. I'm the weak one. I always have been."

"No."

"You're not weak, Sasuke-kun. You never have been... you never will be. It's not your fault."

He decided it wouldn't be best to argue with her right now. But he was the weak one. He was weak so he went with Orochimaru to become stronger. He left her because he was weak. He knocked her out because he was too weak to face her. He was weak. And she had hurt herself and it_ was_ his fault. All of it. Her pain, her scars, her sorrow. He was to blame. And now he was too weak to tell her that it _was_ his fault. Everything.

"When did you get back? What happened?"

"I came back two months ago..." He said blanky, "I killed Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi."

"A...are you going to stay?"

He stared at her, "Under two conditions."

She was scared, but curious. Clutching her hand to her chest, she inched near him again, "Which are...?"

"One, you can never intentionally cause yourself to get hurt again."

She was watching him, surprised eyes. After a moment, she nodded and inched a little more closer. "And the second one?"

He paused, taking a deep breath, "That you agree to be my...wife."

A brilliant smile came across her face, and she shouted very loudly, "YES! Oh yes! SASUKE!"

Which of course sent several nurses in, inquiring on their patient. Several nurses happened to be her friends and we very relieved that she had finally waken up after four long months. And some, well, some were mad that the Uchiha hadn't come to them the moment her eyes had fluttered open. Some were angry that he had asked her such a question, when he was to blame for all her pain. Some were happy that she finally got her prince, and some... some were just... there.

Ten years later, the only thing that told anyone of their old pain, were three scars on Uchiha Sakura's body. One through her torso, it was small. One across the top of her left breast, also very small, un-noticeable. And one long one that ran from her elbow to her shoulder. But that one was very thin.

They were the reminders of weak moments in life that had cost them. That had caused them pain. They were reminders of weakness. Weakness that wasn't there...not anymore.


	5. Bound III

**Bound III**

She's just staring up at him, her mouth opened slightly, a surprised, horrified look on her face... Her eyes are wide with confusion and mis-understanding and neither of them move. He can suddenly feel every part of her that's touching him, and he can feel her heart beat faster, and her breath coming out in puffs. He can feel her warm legs intertwined with his cool ones, and he doesn't know what to say.

_When did this happen?_

The stillness is overwhelming as she stutters for words, but finds none and abruptly snaps her jaw shut. They're still frozen in the position of which they awoke, and she feels like she can't breathe. Her whole body is tingling, and her wrist is pleasantly numb. She's too distracted to wonder why.

_How could I have missed this?_

Finally, slowly, Sasuke's hand removes itself from her back and she untangles her legs from his. Gently they separate, neither speaking, both with millions of thoughts running through their heads.

Sasuke finally remembers his dream.

_Maybe it wasn't a dream after all?_

His fists clench as he hears the shower turn on, and he knows she thinks he can't hear her confused wails over the water. But he can, and he'd rather cut his precious sharingan eyes out and explode his ear drums than keep hearing them, or ever hear them again.

She's pushing against the shower wall, a hand in her knotted hair, the other wrapped around her stomach. She's so lost, it wasn't supposed to happen that way. Angry, she examines her wrist. Despite the fact that she knows it won't work, she viciously scrubs at the jutsu's mark, begging it to disappear. She has to leave, she can't stay here. She's too confused, it's too awkward, she's too embarrassed.

_What is going on?_

She can't get it off, and she rubs the skin until it feels like it might bleed. The mark is still dark, she feels like the ink goes on for miles. She wonders what they'll do. Smiling bitterly, she wonders what Sasuke will say. Or won't say. How will they keep living like this?

_This is so wrong._

He's in the kitchen when he hears the water stop. Quietly, he wonders what she's thinking. Does she blame him? Does she hate him? He tries not to care but he knows he does. He hopes he hasn't hurt her too badly, he hopes she's okay. He wonders what they'll do at the same time she's wondering it.

_Will we pretend?_

Sakura decides to forget before he even asks her to. She knows he probably thinks of it as a mistake, he's Sasuke, he doesn't love her or want her or really even like her all that much. It was an accident. Her brow furrows at this: How was it an accident? They didn't get drunk, she knows this. She only remembers her dream. And the feelings, and little bits and pieces. Fingers tangled in raven-locks, kisses on burning skin, sounds. Her skin is tingling, and then he's in the doorway.

_That's odd._

He looks at her differently than she expected. She'd been waiting for the blank face, or maybe disgust...pity? But there's nothing like that. He looks just a little bit worried, he's frowning, watching her subtly. She silently wishes Naruto were there.

_What do I say?_

He swallows slowly, thinking of what he could possibly do to fix this. He wants to apologize, but he knows he isn't sorry. He's not sorry it happened; he knows he liked it, even if he wasn't exactly all there.

_Actions speak louder than words._

Kakashi said that to them once, and Sakura thinks that Sasuke is the epitome of this. Silently, he agrees. She thinks of when he walked away, and how loud it was. It truly did speak louder than his words. He wonders if she knew what he meant by saying "thank you". He frowns again and decides to act on his ex-sensei's saying.

_This can be fixed._

Hesitantly, she watches him cross the room, he's eyeing her carefully. She's sitting on the bed now, she can't muster anything other than a sad attempt at a smile, but he's just frowning. She's caught off guard as he places himself next to her. She can't help but fiddle with her fingers in her lap.

_Damn it._

He gives her an annoyed look and places his hand on her own to stop the habit, and she looks up at him, shocked. She wonders why he's touching her when she hasn't initiated it. But she forgets it when her wrist begins tingling pleasantly. She's confused again, it's not even the hand he's touching.

_Gotta do something._

She's even more shell shocked when he doesn't remove his hand. Instead he looks pointedly at her, and his look speaks volumes to her: He is there with her. Is she okay? He doesn't want to pretend. Nodding, she places her head on his shoulder. Maybe they can try this. Maybe they can do this. Maybe a relationship can be formed. Sasuke can't ignore the feeling in his wrist anymore because it shoots up his arm and through the rest of his body. So he kisses her.

_This is un-real._

Sakura's too surprised to respond. After a few moments she snaps out of it and kisses him back, just to say that she understands. When he pulls away, his hand is still on hers. She realizes that he does care, and that he will try.

So they do.

**SxS**

Naruto doesn't know what's happened, but he's suspicious. He can see that his teammates are... different around each other. It isn't as tense, but it's still a little awkward. When he watches them he gets the feeling that they don't know what to do, that they're confused. So he asks them.

Neither of them respond, and it tells him everything. Something did happen, and it was big. Bigger than anything that's happened recently, and Naruto's dying to know what it was. He's still a little jealous that Sakura's living with Sasuke, and that they're alone so often.

He doesn't miss it when they brush hands, they do it each time Sakura hands him a clean plate to dry. Naruto frowns. He knows his raven-haired teammate hates physical touching, affection or intimacy.

When he finally understands, he's happy for them. He's happy that they've finally made the connection. When he says so, Sakura flinches and it leads Naruto to wonder if he's gotten it right. And since he thinks he doesn't, he asks. And when Sakura flinches again, he can't help but go off; he's worried after all. After he's done screeching at his rival and after Sakura's in tears, everyone's quiet, and Naruto's surprised when Sasuke moves to brush her tears away.

So maybe he hadn't gotten it wrong. Maybe everything was alright.

**SxS**

Oi! I got a challenge to do a whole chapter of this without any dialouge. And there you go! They speak no words. ;)

So how'd I do? There will be more parts to Bound. Send in the comments. I love all of you.


	6. Break

**Break**

"Damn it, you fool!" Naruto was screaming, "Don't you care? Don't you remember? I hated you. I hated you so much, but you changed that. You saved my damn life! We _love_ you! We want you back! We care about you, you idiot!"

"Pathetic," The raven-haired boy said blankly, his katana raised, blocking Naruto's kunai. "I gained power."

"Don't you see what you've lost?" Sasuke was startled by the kunoichi's sudden appearance but he said nothing, instead thinking about the words.

"I've lost nothing important," He decided, blinking at them.

"You've lost everything," Naruto argued, "Everything that meant something!"

"Power is the only thing useful."

"It's not!" This time both boys were startled, "You had friends! You had people who cared about you! People who'd give a damn! Now you're just like him! You have no one who cares about you, no one who'd avenge you! You're all alone and you don't care! You're the pathetic one!" Sakura screeched, her fists clenching dangerously.

Sasuke's sword wasn't putting pressure on his kunai anymore and the sudden loss of weight caused Naruto to stumble. He heard Sakura's shout, and when he looked up, Sasuke had her pinned to a tree with his weight.

"What did you say?" He asked her, blank expression.

"I said," She was baring her teeth at him, daring him to hit her, "That you're just like him."

"Don't ever say it again," he threatened, glowering at her, "You know nothing."

"You turned into the monster you seek to kill, you became what you're running from, Sasuke-_kun_," She provoked, "You betrayed everyone who ever loved you for power. You threw everything away. You shut yourself away and only allowed hate and anger to seep through. Accidentally when you were with us you cared. And when you understood, you threw us away. I loved you. I loved you," She repeated, "And you left me on a bench, vulnerable where anyone could get me." She watched his face. "You did just what that bastard asked and you devoted your life to killing him. He doesn't deserve your devotion. He doesn't deserve anything. And you're giving him everything he's ever asked for."

Sasuke wondered if he could properly form words anymore. Instead of finding out, he opted for placing his hand around her throat and squeezing tight, "It's not true," he managed, but deep down, he knew her words were right on target. He wondered why she wasn't fighting back. She gasped for breath and Naruto began to move but Sasuke dropped her hard on the ground.

"You know I'm right, Sasuke," She gasped, her throat burning.

Naruto said nothing, but took a slow step closer, stopping when he saw Sasuke tense. Sakura was standing now, and she made the signal for Naruto to halt. He watched with worried eyes and Sakura turned her attention to her raven-haired ex-teammate.

He glared at her, but for some reason, to the kunoichi, it seemed softer.

"He'll never admit it, but we both know he knows you're right," Naruto supplied, a small grin.

Sasuke snorted but didn't deny it.

"Please, Sasuke, come back with us. I'm sure we can teach you something that you don't already know, and that will help you defeat… him."

He didn't say anything.

"I'm sure Tsunade-shishou will allow your new… Hebi to enter Konoha. You four haven't done anything to endanger Leaf ninja's lives or our village, and I'm sure you haven't exposed any valuable secrets."

Sasuke still didn't answer and Sakura was starting to lose her patience. So was Naruto, as he stepped forward again and Sakura glared at him. He stopped moving.

Suddenly, Kakashi and Sai appeared. Both were pretty beat up. Kakashi looked directly at Sasuke. "I couldn't put down Juugo entirely, but he's pretty wounded."

"Shark boy went down after he ran out of water," Sai commented blankly, "But he's still alive. I don't know where the girl disappeared to."

"Whatever," Sasuke conceded. His team was beaten, he needed to recuperate. Spending a few weeks in Konoha couldn't be that bad could it? He could just leave again.

**XxX**

It was night fall and the newly re-united team 7 plus Suigetsu and Juugo had to stop and make camp.

"Right," Sakura frowned at her discovery. "There are only two tents. We can all fit in them; it's just a matter of who goes where."

Kakashi didn't look up from his book. "I refuse to be with Naruto," he said passively, "He kicks and slaps and hits. I'll keep guard."

"Me neither," Sakura wrinkled her nose, "Yeah and he molests my pillow. Sometimes he molests _me_."

"Alright."

"Well. Considering Juugo's condition, I think that Sasuke should stay with him. He's the only one who can control Juugo if he gets out of control."

"That's a good idea, Sakura. We can have you, Sasuke and Juugo in one tent. This leaves Suigetsu, Naruto and Sai in the other. Anyone have any objections?"

Kakashi looked pointedly at Sasuke, waiting. The boy didn't move. Suigetsu and Juugo were still out cold, Sakura had treated them but they were exhausted. They wouldn't be complaining.

"I don't want to share with Sai! He's mean!"

"Naruto, don't be so childish," Sakura said quietly. She was a little un-easy sharing a tent with Sasuke but at least she could keep an eye on him. Plus, if she and Sai were to share, they'd fight and she predicted that Naruto and Sasuke would too.

Soon enough, Kakashi had taken his post by the fire and was finishing off the remaining fish Sai had caught. Sakura climbed into the tent, undoing her boots and removing her weapon's pouch, which she placed under her pillow. Sasuke came in soon after, and Sakura was laying down in her bedroll. She ignored him and pulled her sleeping bag closer up. He looked at her with a blank face and removed his shoes and katana, but held tight onto it, he slid into the loaned bedroll in between Sakura and Juugo, and the katana was laying along side him. His hand still around it. Sakura raised an eyebrow but he just sent her a glare. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

It was a few hours later when Sakura awoke. She faintly heard the crack of a stick and opened her eyes. She could see the faint glow of the fire from the back of the tent where Kakashi had probably fallen asleep at his post. Her hand slowly moved for the weapon's pouch under her pillow. Once in her hand, she pulled out a kunai and took a look at Sasuke. Even in his sleep he was tense, his body rigid, his hand still grasping the damn katana. Sakura rolled her eyes and stood up. His eyes snapped open and she froze.

He glared at her and she put her hand on her hip, not bothering to hide the kunai. Instead, she bent down silently and leaned closer to him. If he could get any stiffer, he would. She rolled her eyes. "I heard something," Her voice was barely audible, "Be right back."

He just stared at her blankly.

She made her way out of the tent and paused, looking around. She heard another stick crack and noticed it was a little deeper into the woods. Calmly, she made her way into the brush, masking her chakra and concentrating on the surrounding area. It was only when he couldn't see the firelight anymore that the woman appeared.

And oh, how she was an ugly woman. Okay, so she wasn't _really_ ugly, but Sakura just didn't like her. She thought she might have seen her in a village before but scrunched her nose up at that thought. The woman had bright red hair—like a god damn watermelon, and it was choppy and short on one side and neat and long on the other. Like she'd cut one side and then decided that she didn't like it like that. Or she was bi-polar and forgot to cut the other-half. So then she wanted her long hair and now she brushed it all the time. She had weird glasses and she looked slutty. Her shorts were really short and her boots were really high. And her shirt was open it showed her navel.

Sakura glared, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah ..You can die."

Sakura raised a pale, thin, perfect eyebrow. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

"I said you can die. For the way you acted with Sasuke-kun, you deserve it. You're scum. My Sasuke-kun would never touch dirt like you. And you're ugly. Your hair is this disgusting shade of pink. Like pigs…. You're a pig."

Sakura looked amused, "…That….was pathetic." She took a step forward thinking the girl would step back but she didn't.

"I'm Karin," The girl spoke smirking, "And Sasuke-kun loves me. If he didn't, I wouldn't be on Team Hebi. He picked me. Not you, piggy."

"Oh. Oh no, you did not!" Sakura growled, "Ino's the pig, you're talking to the wrong kunoichi," She hissed, "You look like you tried to be a red-head and ended up with a bad dye-job."

"Bitch. I will kill you. I'll prove to Sasuke-kun that I'm much stronger than some whore like you. Look at you," Karin hissed back, "I'll be a better lover."

Sakura snorted, "The Uchiha is emotionless. You've got a better chance having sex with a hamster," She remembered said boy using the hamster analogy with Naruto in the Forest of Death. At this, she cringed.

"Hn," Karin's eyes widened behind her glasses as she watched Uchiha Sasuke step out of the shadows.

"Sasuke-kun! Good! You're just in time to see me blow this girl away. After that we can take care of the rest of those Leaf nin and we can leave!"

"We're going to Konoha," He said tonelessly, "There's been a change in plans."

Karin advanced to his side, latching herself to his arm, "Sasuke-kun! I thought we were going for-"

"Hn." He repeated, "Sakura."

She glowered at Karin, and then Sasuke. "What?" She growled.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, she's not worth it," Karin said, smiling viciously. Sasuke gave her a hard stare and turned blankly back to Sakura.

"I'm going back to bed."

And she left Sasuke and Karin in the trees.

**XxX**

Two days later, they were walking through the gates. ANBU guards looked on as they appeared, Karin had jointed herself to Sasuke's side and every single member of Team 7 could tell that he was annoyed. Sakura refused to allow the watermelon head to enter her tent and so she'd been stuck outside with Kakashi.

Juugo and Suigetsu had awoken, and still needed constant medical attention. She was a little angry that she couldn't fight Karin now because she didn't have full chakra. She made a note to kick the weird girl's ass later for calling her Piggy.

Tsunade surely wouldn't deal with their attitudes.

Sakura smiled. They would have an interesting time with her shishou. And she knew they wouldn't be leaving any time soon. This thought calmed her and she watched in fascination as Sasuke tried to shake the idiot girl off his arm.

She felt the break in her heart, the gaping hole he had left, slowly repairing. She was alright if she couldn't have him for herself. She was alright if he was with someone else. She had accepted that he would probably never love her. As long as he was here, the break would be sealed. Maybe it would be alright for a little while. And if the baka left again, well, she, Naruto and Kakashi would just go out and retrieve him again. But for now, the boy was back. And that was all that mattered.


	7. Reasons

**Reasons**

Sasuke had expected to open the door to his dank quarters, slam the door, lock it, take a shower and slide into bed for some well deserved sleep. What he got was much different.

After opening the door, he slammed it behind him and switched on the dim lighting.

He found himself staring at a limp pink-haired girl, who was thrown carelessly on his stone floor, her hair matted and bloody. His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. This could not be happening. Why was this happening?

He had left Konoha just six months ago. And he remembered telling her that she could not go with him. Well, he had insinuated it by knocking her unconscious and telling her that they walked different paths. And now, here was the same girl lying on his floor. Not good, at all.

"Sakura…" He said quietly and slipped over to her, checking her pulse. She was still alive, he noted, and picked her up gently setting her down on his bed, surveying the damage. She had a gash across her chest, it wasn't big, but it was deep. She had to cuts on her cheek, and bruises that littered her arms, legs and face.

She had taken a beating.

Kabuto, who had his hand raised to knock on the door, smirked when he felt the murderous intent that was radiating from the room. He knocked and waited a beat for Sasuke to open the door.

When he did, his eyes were blazing crimson and his mouth was curved in a sneer, "What the fuck did you do?" He growled. Kabuto smirked again,

"Orochimaru decided that it would be better for a kunoichi to be here with us. It was by coincidence that our ninjas came across her. She took down seven, I believe."

He glared, "How many were there?"

"Fourteen," Kabuto mused, "She caused them some terrible havoc."

"Get out of here," Sasuke snarled, getting ready to slam the door in the medic's face.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, I hope you enjoy your company while it lasts," With that, Kabuto went off down the dark hall.

After slamming the door a second time, he locked it and went back over to the bed. On his way there, he saw her satchel. It was lying on the floor as well, bloody and dirty. He opened it and found a first aid kit, and began cleaning her wounds.

Orochimaru would pay for this.

**SxS**

She didn't know what to think when she awoke. All she knew was that it was dark, she was cold, and her wounds didn't feel that bad anymore. Where the heck was she? And where were Kiba and Tenten? They'd been there, she re-called, but Kiba had gone out searching for food and Tenten had gone to get fire wood. She was trying to keep the fire going when they'd attacked her.

It had started out pretty well. The bit of training she'd gotten from Tsunade in the last few months had helped a lot, and she'd been able to take down half of them. But she hadn't lasted. The kunai to the chest had slowed her down, and then when the other seven had advanced at once and began beating on her, she blacked out.

And now she was here.

She was about to move when something next to her did. She sat up so fast that before who or whatever was next to her could react, she'd already been at the door she spotted through the darkness. Ripping it open, she took off down the hall.

Sasuke groaned.

He was up and out the door, following after her. She had gotten outside by the time he found her and she was looking around, sheer panic written all over her face. Sasuke swooped in, catching her off guard and tackling her to the ground.

"Are you stupid?" He whispered harshly, ignoring her shocked expression, "Do you have a death wish?"

He pulled her up and she jumped away from him, horror written all over her face, "Sasuke…?"

He'd forgotten that she didn't know where she was. Crap.

"Sakura, just come with me. If anyone sees you out here, you'll be done."

Hesitantly, she nodded and allowed him to lead her back inside. Once they were back in his room, the door shut, she opened her mouth, "What the heck am I doing here? Where is here?"

He then, in turn opened his mouth, but was shocked into silence when her hand crashed across his cheek. He blinked at her, shutting his mouth and looking absolutely shocked. When had she gotten so bold? She would never have hit him before.

"Uchiha Sasuke! How dare you!"

He stared at her, "How dare I what?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Leave me like that? Leave us like that? What is wrong with you? Avenger this, avenger that… yeah yeah… so what if Naruto and I aren't perfect? At least we're not licking the boots of whatever creepy snake man that comes along promising power!" She spat.

He didn't respond, not even when she glared at him.

"Where am I!?" She almost shouted.

"In Sound."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying, you have to know. You're the one who won't let me escape."

"Sakura, we both know you're in no condition to go anywhere. You're bruised and beaten, and you have next to no chakra. And no, I'm not lying. When I got in here, you were already lying there."

She glowered at him, ignoring the fact that this was probably the one time that Sasuke had said more than four words to her. She frowned, "So what then?"

He shrugged and turned off the lights, giving her a small shove back towards the bed, "Just go to sleep."

She was tired. That, she could admit. And she did still sort of trust the Uchiha. So she laid down and shut her eyes.

SxS

There will be a second, maybe third part to this. This is not an M fic, they are still 12.

R&R!

Bound IV will be up soon!


	8. Bound IV

**Bound IV**

"We've been trapped here for weeks," Sakura complained, shoving down the urge to move closer to him.

They were sitting on Sasuke's couch, watching a movie. She had finally been able to drag him away from training, The movie of choice, was one that Sakura wasn't really into- Sasuke had chosen it, and he was watching blankly as well.

"It's not my fault," He replied tonelessly.

"Well, we should do something," She retorted, subtly nudging him with her elbow. "What do you want to do?"

He shrugged.

"I told you, we need to communicate," Sakura reminded him, "And Hn doesn't count."

"Tch." _Don't tell me what to do._

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do!" She exclaimed, earning a strange look from Sasuke. Lately, it'd been like she could read his thoughts.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to talk to you, Mr. Vocally Challenged."

He glowered at her, "Shut up."

"Ooh, touchy," She teased, poking him in the ribs.

He frowned at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

And then she kissed him. Whoa, wait. She kissed _him_? _What?_

He pulled away, catching the look of hurt on her face. He frowned, leaning back in. This time he was kissing _her_. Much better. She leaned over him and maneuvered herself onto his lap, not breaking the kiss. Her hands found their way under his shirt, where she began tickling his skin with her fingertips.

He tensed, her hands teasing his abs, running over the contours of his alabaster skin. They broke apart, gasping for breath before leaning back in for round two. Sasuke lifted them both off the couch, Sakura wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding into his hips. He groaned against her lips. Fumbling, he tore off her shirt, tossing it carelessly on the ground. She laughed, kissing his nose.

Teeth, tongues, arms, legs, skin...all in a tangle by the time they were down the hall. Sakura was half-dressed, her bra and shorts still on, and Sasuke's shirt was long gone.

He blinked at her, as if to ask, '_Are you sure?_'

And she kissed him, again.

**SxS**

"I'm sorry," She muttered, looking at him from across the table.

"What?" He was confused.

Leave it to Sakura to randomly apologize. Now that he thought about, he had a lot to apologize for too.

"I'm sorry I was so clingy when we were younger," She said, a twinkle in her eye, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop you from leaving, I'm sorry that I let that snake corrupt you.. I'm sorry that you've had to suffer through the...tragedy and I'm sorry you had to kill your own brother. I'm sorry that–"

"Number one, it wasn't your fault you couldn't stop me. Two, you didn't let Orochimaru–" She cringed, "–corrupt me. And what do you mean 'corrupt'? Three, it wasn't your fault that my brother was... my brother."

"If I hadn't been so weak, I maybe would've stood a chance," She argued, frowning, "And he did corrupt you! You're always so emotionless around Naruto...and you were around me...until..." She turned red. Still blushing wildy, she reached across the table and took his hand, "I still love you."

"I know."

She pulled back her hand and stood up, walking across the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink. Suddenly, her wrist began to burn. Her eyes widened and she spun around, but before she could get close enough to Sasuke, the pain shot through her body, burning her...hurting her... "Sasuke!"

It stopped once he'd forced himself to move. She had collapsed on the floor, whimpering in pain. His eyes were watering, his whole body was shaking, and he was swearing.

"Damn it!"

He stood on shaky legs and found a pen and paper, being sure to stay in arms length of the kunoichi. After writing a short message, he formed the hand signs and then touched the paper. It turned into a hawk and took off, heading in the direction of the Hokage's tower.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

She didn't answer him, and he soon realized why. She was passed out on the kitchen floor. He inwardly panicked. He dropped beside her on the floor, pulling her into his lap gently.

Naruto, Tenten, Sai, Kakashi, Tsunade, Kiba, Neji and Ino arrived shortly after the hawk had left the house.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Naruto shouted, looking down at the pair with wide eyes. Ino and Tsunade were down near Sakura and Sasuke, Tsunade scanning Sakura's body for wounds, and Tenten, Neji, and Kiba were standing nearby, looking guilty.

"We weren't in arms length and the jutsu started acting up. I guess the pain was too intense for her, by the time it was over, she was unconious." Sasuke explained.

"Have you found out who's been doing this?" Kakashi asked Tenten, Kiba and Neji.

"No," Neji said quietly, "We've gotten several leads, but none of the suspects' chakra signatures match the chakra that's keeping the jutsu in place.

"Tsunade-baa-chan," Naruto whined, "You never told us what happens if Sasuke and Sakura are too far apart when it happens!"

"If they can't get to each other before both pass out... worst case...one or both will die."

The room was un-naturally silent.

**SxS**

Another short one, I know. I only needed the end to be there as part of the plot. No, it is NOT Jiraiya who's doing this! It's a secret. ;) Looks like you'll have to review and wait for Bound part 5! Muahaha!


	9. Reasons 2

**Reasons 2**

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, there was no one in the room with her. Seeing this as an opportunity to escape, she went for the door. And it was locked.

She knew she couldn't get out– some ninja she was. She had to save what chakra she had to attempt to heal her wounds. She knew she wasn't that good yet, Tsunade had showed her a few techniques and she knew she could heal scratches and kunai wounds. She decided to try once her chakra built back up enough.

So for now, she decided to snoop around the Uchiha's quarters. She found his backpack, it still had his things in it, as if he never un-packed. _Maybe he wasn't planning on staying?_

A dark blush covered her cheeks when she extracted a pair of his boxers. Quickly, she shoved them back where she'd found them and walked away from the backpack. After digging around for a few more hours, she sat down on the bed and found out that she was really tired still. Sasuke still hadn't shown up all day so she decided to go back to sleep.

**

* * *

**The girl wrinkled her nose. She was really cold. Opening her eyes, she found out why. The room was dark, the walls were made of stone, and she was lying next to Uchiha Sasuke, one of the coldest people on the planet. 

_Wait...what?_

'_SASUKE!_' Inner Sakura shouted, her eyes widened in disbelief.

The night came back to her, and her eyes began to water, but before they could, she shut off her train of thought. Once again she found herself wondering how Tenten and Kiba were doing and if they were okay.

It had been a simple mission, really. They were supposed to go into the forest, find a certain herb and bring it back. Kiba had been chosen to go because of his sense of smell, Sakura knew what the herb looked like, and Tenten was the only ninja not on a mission left. It's not like they didn't get along- they did, they just weren't best of friends.

She froze when he groaned in his sleep next to her.

After a moment, she gently slid off the bed. This was still Sasuke...wasn't it? So maybe she could convince him to come home. She still loved him, she knew that. But she wasn't enough to stop him before, why would she make a difference now?

Frowning, she decided that he best chance was to escape and lead Naruto and Kakashi-sensei back here. They'd be able to drag her precious Sasuke-kun home. She nodded her head in silent determination. That was the plan.

But then, she reminded herself, This _was_ Sasuke. He had determination of his own, and she quietly began to doubt she'd actually make it out of Sound. She shrugged, moving out of Sasuke's view (if he'd been awake) and began healing the wounds she knew how to. Once she was done, she moved back out into the open, and headed towards the door. So far so good. He had his back to her, and she quickened her pace when she watched him move around, as if he was feeling around for her.

She pulled the door open quietly, and shut it silently behind her before taking of down the hall like she had two days before. Using the stealth skills she could remember, she figured out how to get back outside, and could see the wall a few kilometers in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she ran for it. She was at the top of the wall when she felt him. He was behind her somewhere, and he was annoyed.

"Sakura," He said blankly, glaring at her. She was mid-step on the other side of the wall. He could still see the head of ridiculous pink hair poking out from over the top of the wall. He was even more annoyed when she didn't stop. The hair disappeared and he knew he had to take action.

He wasn't going to let Kabuto or Orochimaru get to her, or any of the other sound-nin. And deep inside, He wasn't ready to let her go. Not that he'd ever admit it.

He was at the top of the wall in three steps and he saw that she'd made it to the bottom. Scowling, he followed her down and watched as she got ready to make a run for it.

"Sakura," He repeated and stupidly, she froze. "Come back...now."

She turned around to face him and he could see the terror hiding just under the surface, "...No..."

"If Kabuto or Orochimaru find you, they will probably kill you. At the moment you're my responsibility, and I don't appreciate being woken up early in the morning." He glared at her and watched as she flinched and took a step back. He sighed, "Come on."

"No!" She whispered harshly, "I can't! Why can't you just let me go, Sasuke? You never cared before! Just let them catch me then!"

She was right, and he knew it. He had never cared before, so why now? The thought brought him down a road of even more complicated thoughts until he came across the answer. Because he needed her to know.

"Just come with me," He commanded, moving forward so fast, she let out a gasp and stumbled. He caught her, pulling her angrily back towards the wall.

"No, Sasuke! Let me go!"

"Sakura," He said tonelessly, shutting her up, "You have to be quiet."

She glowered at him but allowed herself to be pulled back up the wall and into the Sound base. It wasn't as if she had enough strength to fight him- she didn't not only have the strength, but the heart to fight him. And she was smart enough to understand that she would_ lose._

When they returned to Sasuke's room, he let her wrist go and she stood where he'd left her, dazed. "Why? Why are you doing this? Please, just let me go. I'm still your friend...You don't want anything to happen to me do you, Sasuke-kun?"

She covered her mouth, the suffix had slipped! She had promised herself that if she saw him again, she wouldn't call him Sasuke-kun. And then maybe he'd understand she didn't mean to be clingy, or annoying...she just wanted him to let her in.

Sasuke blinked, it was the first time she'd used the suffix the entire time she'd been in Sound. "I need you to know something," He said, turning away from her.

She held her breath. In all of her fantasies, he'd say, 'I need you to know...I love you.' But she doubted he'd say that. Unless...did he want her to stay with him?

"I need you to understand why I left, Sakura," He said blankly, "I left because I need power that I can't get when I'm trying to protect you, or when I'm fighting with Naruto. I need to be focused, I need to keep my eyes on my goal. Orochimaru can help me get that power, Sakura."

She bit her tongue, why was he telling her this? Didn't he tell her to mind her own business?

"...In order to achieve what I'm aiming for, I can't have friends, I can't be around you, and I can't depend on anyone."

"You...you..." She was at a loss of words, "Sasuke-kun, I... I know you don't think we can help you, but we can! Orochimaru may be a sannin, but we have two of those in Konoha. The toad sage is going to train Naruto, and I've already asked Tsunade-sama to train me. I'm sure we can help you get stronger, Sasuke-kun...please, just come back with me."

"I can't do that, Sakura," He turned around to face her, his face blank, "It's futile for you to ask. I'm a missing-nin, and if I return I will probably no longer be allowed to be a shinobi."

"Tsunade-sama would give you a chance!" Sakura pleaded, "Please..."

His eyes opened to look at her before he closed them again. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes revealing the sharingan. "No." And all she saw was blackness. He caught her moments before she dropped to the floor, and set her down on his bed. "Tch. Annoying..."

He didn't know what to do. What was Kabuto planning for her? He sat down next to her, lost in thought. This would be a long week.

* * *

Ah. Next will be Break II and then Bound! Yay! And then depending on how it turns out, a request drabble. ;)

Enjoy!


	10. Break 2

**Break 2**

* * *

"Well, well, well. Look who it is," The Hokage rolled her eyes and signaled to the chairs in front of her desk. "Uchiha, take a seat." 

Sasuke said nothing, but did as he was told.

"I see that Team 7 was successfully able to bring you and Hebi back to Konoha."

Sasuke opened his mouth this time, "I let them."

Sakura, who was standing off to the side next to Kakashi, Sai and Naruto (Naruto had the inconvienience of being next to Karin) arched an eyebrow. Karin smiled.

"Ah, I see," Tsunade replied, a smirk on her face, "It doesn't matter how or why you are here, just that you are going to except the consequences of your actions. Are you going to do that?"

"Hn."

"We should probably take that as a yes," Sakura chimed in, moving over to the side of Tsunade's desk where she sat down in what would've been Shizune's chair, had she been present. Tsunade nodded, looking down at a folder on her desk. Sakura could see the tab, it read: Uchiha Sasuke, Private Record. Sakura knew that folder well.

"First, you are to go to the hospital with Sakura. I understand that two of your companions are in the ICU. Juugo will be retained until we can find a way to counter act his curse seal and are sure that he will remain in a stable state of mind. Suigetsu will be in the ICU for quite some time...it seems that he has ink poisoning." At this, she looked at Sai. He shrugged.

"You are to get a physical so your file can be updated."

Sasuke snorted, Tsunade glared and then smiled evilly, "Sakura, you'll be doing that."

Karin's eyes widened, she looked enraged. Sakura's face paled, and if you were watching Sasuke like Karin was, you'd see that his did as well.

"What? Tsunade-sama, you can't possibly–"

"I know that you will neither harm or molest him during his examination," She gave Sasuke a pointed look and then looked over at Karin, "Would you rather one of your old fan girls do it?"

Sakura nodded, Sasuke frowned.

"It's settled then. Sakura, you'll do it." Sakura frowned. "After that, you'll be living with one of your old team members as a safety precaution. They can talk amongst themselves and agree on who you'll be staying with. When a decision is made, I want to be informed. Your companions, once the other two have been released from the hospital will be under my supervision until I deem them trustworthy. For now," Tsunade pulled a sheet of paper out of Sasuke's folder, "Karin, come with me. Dismissed."

She waved her hand and Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Sai and Kakashi exited the room. Tsunade left the room as well, Karin, whining, on her heels.

* * *

"So... Who's he staying with?" Naruto asked, poking Sakura in the ribs. 

"I don't know!" Sakura shouted, glaring at him. Sasuke walked ahead of them, and the three pretended he wasn't there, "Kakashi-sensei–"

"No," The silver-haired jounin supplied, "Genma's already sleeping on my couch."

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to Naruto, opening her mouth.

"No," Kakashi said again, "He'll have to stay with you."

"Why!?" She asked bluntly, "Why can't he stay with Naruto!?"

"Because, Naruto and Sasuke would fight."

"Haha, Sure, teme and I would fight a lot but I think–"

"Look at him, Sakura," Kakashi pointed to the dark-haired boy who was listening to the entire conversation but trying to remain oblivious, "He's skinny. He needs real food, not ramen."

"I don't care what he needs!" She glared at the avenger's back, which was straight and stiff.

"Sakura," Kakashi said gently, not taking his eyes off the book in front of his nose, "You're the only one with enough room and enough patience. We know you could handle him if the need be. Now I've got to go," He said, putting his book away and quickly forming hand signs.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei, I–"

But the man had disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm going for ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan, Sai... Sasuke-teme." He ran off in the other direction.

_Great_, Sakura thought, _Now I'm stuck with two emotionless dark-haired hotties that are mean to me._

"Well, Hag," Sai said blankly, "I'm going now," and he turned the corner.

In front of her, Sasuke snorted.

"What's so funny?" Sakura asked, annoyed.

"Hag...?" Sasuke replied, still walking straight ahead.

"Screw you," She growled, walking in time with him. They reached a door and Sakura pointed to it. They both went through it and Sakura walked over to a counter where she conversed quietly with the woman at the desk before she was handed a folder. She walked back to Sasuke's side and clamped her hand around his wrist. For a moment, he looked startled. She then dragged him down the hall and up two flights of stairs before they reached a long hall with lots of doors. Sakura strode down the hallway and picked the last to second door. She flipped the sign to signal she had a patient in the room and dragged Sasuke in. After shutting the door and switching on the lights, she instructed that Sasuke sit down on the cushioned table. Sasuke's insides began to turn.

They had taken away his weapons, so no more katana. They had locked him in a confined room with his female teammate, and they were making him live with her. And now, things were about to get worse.

Sakura, on the other hand, was ignoring everything but the task at hand. She took his blood pressure, wrote down how many times his heart beats per minute, checked his reflexes... "Take off your shirt," She instructed, looking down at the folder. Sasuke glared at her. "What? It's not like it covers a lot anyway," She frowned, and he took it off. "Okay, now I need you to stand up with your back to me."

He did so, and felt her fingertips traveling down his spine. She gasped when she saw the scars.

"What?" He asked sharply, glaring at everything in his sight.

"...I could... I could heal some of these.. If you wanted," She said slowly, examining one of the older ones. Her eyes narrowed on it as she realized that it went from the lower part of his back to beneath the waist line of his pants.

"Go for it," He replied tonelessly. She brought her hand up, healing the ones across his shoulder blades, three more near the middle of his spine and some small ones in random spots.

She decided to touch the scar she hadn't healed yet, and was surprised when his body jerked under her touch, "What's this one from?"

He didn't answer her.

"Do you want me to heal it?"

He nodded, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. She frowned at the scar and pressed her hand, glowing green with medical chakra, against the old jagged skin. He stiffened momentarily, and she watched the top part of the scar fade.

"If you want the other part of it healed, you'd have to take off your pants..."

He didn't say anything, and didn't remove his pants.

"Okay," She let out a deep breath, "I need to get you up to date in shots," She looked down at the folder again. "And maybe draw some blood."

She indicated that he should sit back down while she filled three needles with three different colored liquids and set them on the table. His eyes narrowed at them, and he was extremely stiff.

Her eyes widened in realization. "You don't like needles...?"

He said nothing, instead glared at her.

"I can get another nurse to–" She moved for the door but his hand caught her wrist and pulled her back. She looked up at him and nodded, before picking up the first needle.

To think, Uchiha Sasuke, the great and mighty didn't like needles. Oi.

When all three needles had been administered and a vile of blood had been drawn she looked back down at the folder, where the chart she was going by stared up at her. She choked on the air when she saw the last two things on the list.

_NO WAY IN HELL!_

He frowned as he watched her gasp for breath, pushing the folder away from her. "Oh, I'm going to just go get another nurse... I can't possibly..."

"What?" He asked blankly, still frowning.

She bit her lip and shoved the chart over to him. He read the sheet and paled.

They wanted her to check for prostate cancer. Which was just not happening. And then... the cough test. Absolutely not.

The tips of Sasuke's ears were inflamed and if Sakura had not been blushing furiously herself, she would've taken a snapshot for her photo album 'the first time she'd seen him embarrassed'.

"How about we don't and say we did...?" Sakura suggested, "Ah, but then I'd be going against protocol."

He glared at the folder, wanting to rip it to shreds.

"I guess I can ask you the questions that go with that and then I can tell Tsunade-sama we ran out of time or something."

He stared at her.

"Okay, so, Have you had sexual intercourse within the last year?"

How could she be so calm asking him such awkward questions?! She just stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"Hn."

"I need a yes or no."

He frowned at her, "No."

"The last three years?"

"No."

"Have you ever been sexually active?"

He stared at her.

"Have you experienced any odd sensations?"

He glared even harder at the folder, "No."

"What about itchy-ness or burning?"

"No."

"Okay, this is the part I pretend we run out of time."

He wanted to breathe a sigh of relief but he refused to do it in front of the girl who just asked him so many in-appropriate questions. And to think- now he was going to have to live with her!

Ah, the break was closing, like a scar, new material filled the gap, forcing her heart to be whole again. But she knew that she couldn't do that completely until he gave her heart back willingly, and she knew he probably never would. He was greedy, selfish, but she didn't care. She loved him still, and here he was. Even if the atmosphere was awkward.

Sakura suddenly closed the space between them, and stepped in between his knees. He was stiff, but that was almost normal for him. He was startled when she began healing the scars on his chest. And even more startled when she wrapped her arms around his torso and said quietly, "Even though you're a jerk, I'm _glad _you're back, Sasuke."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there's Break the second part! I hope you enjoyed, I loved writing the physical. It was interesting. Haha. And thank you AGAIN to all of those who helped me discover the ruler/lines! Yay! 

Anyway, there'll probably be a third part to this, and I may be making Bound into it's own story. A more detailed story, not just parts. Like a main story, like Stand My Ground. Backwards is sort of like that, except that's got parts, and there are only four of those.

So we'll see.

Break might be getting that too.

Anyway, I hope you liked it.

REVIEW! (Next, Bound part five!)


	11. Bound V

**Bound V**

* * *

Whoa, wait... _FIVE_? God. I'm already _THAT_ far? Wow.

* * *

Ino stood up, looking around, trying to understand that Sakura could actually die. Tsunade stood as well, backing up away from them. Ino decided she needed Shikamaru and went over to the table to perform the same jutsu Sasuke had moments before.

It took a few more moments before the lazy boy appeared and Ino threw herself into his arms.

"Why didn't you mention that before?" Sasuke finally snarled, still holding Sakura's head. She moaned in pain and opened her eyes slowly. Sasuke's eyes snapped down towards her. The entire room watched the two on the floor.

"Sasuke...?" He didn't answer her, instead glared up at Tsunade, who looked down apologetically.

"I hoped I wouldn't have to," She responded quietly. Sakura moved around in Sasuke's lap, trying to see what was going on.

"What are you guys doing here? What's going on?"

"The jutsu was acting up and you passed out and hit your head on the floor," Ino said, reciting what Sasuke had told them.

Her eyes widened in response and she looked up at Sasuke, "Are you okay, too?"

He nodded slowly and wasn't surprised when her arms snaked up and around his neck.

Ino, Shikamaru, Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Tenten, Tsunade, Neji and Kiba said nothing, just watched on as she leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips.

Ino let out a startled gasp and Tenten a whimper of surprise. Kiba blinked and rubbed his eyes, Naruto grinned like a fool, Sai watched blankly, Neji smirked, Tsunade arched an eyebrow and Kakashi read his book.

Sakura looked up and blinked at all the people in Sasuke's kitchen... "I appreciate you guys coming and all...but why are you still here?"

"Oh.." Tenten said, grabbing Neji's hand and pulling on Kiba's jacket. "We should go."

The three left, Ino stood smiling at Sakura and Sasuke (who were still on the floor).

"So what do we do?" Sasuke asked, looking up at Tsunade.

"You'll have to stay as close as possible at all times. The jutsu will probably start acting up more frequently, so you'll have to stick together if you don't want anymore incidents."

Sakura nodded and Naruto leaned over and poked Kakashi in the ribs. "Take me for ramen, Kakashi-sensei."

"Naruto, that is completely inappropriate at this time."

"No, you should go," Tsunade said dryly, "And bring me back some sake."

Kakashi rolled his eye and he and Naruto went out the door.

"Ino-pig," Sakura said suddenly, her arms coming back from around Sasuke's neck, "Help me up."

Ino extracted herself from Shikamaru's arms and held out a hand. Sakura took it, pulling her up out of Sasuke's lap off the floor. Sasuke stood up as well.

Tsunade blinked and turned to walk out the door. "Oh," She said turning around, "It seems you still haven't figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Sakura asked, her eye brows raised at her shishou.

"Try going out the front door holding hands," Tsunade instructed smirking, "Who knows? It might just get you out of here."

Sakura gaped at her teacher and Sasuke glared at her. "You knew and you didn't tell us?"

"You graduated at the top of your class, both of you, I thought you'd figure it out."

And she disappeared out the door.

"Oh no she didn't!" Sakura exclaimed, stomping towards the door.

"SAKURA!" Ino screeched, "You'll kill yourself!"

"What?!" Sakura slid to a halt, "Oh. Sasuke-kun!"

Ino blinked and Shikamaru stopped mid-yawn. Sasuke-kun? Since when?

"What?" he snapped, appearing in the kitchen doorway.

"I want to try what Tsunade-shishou said."

"Hn."

Sakura turned on her heel and headed towards the door.

"Hey, Forehead!" Ino called and Sakura spun around.

"Yes, Ino-pig?"

"Maybe you should change?"

Sakura looked down and found she was wearing her pyjamas.

"Oh."

"You too, Sasuke," Ino directed, shoving them both towards the bedroom. Once they were both in, Ino closed the door and turned to Shikamaru. "I know where Sasuke's guest room is," She said, giggling, "Come with me."

Shikamaru shrugged and allowed Ino to drag him down the hallway.

"Ino?" Sakura looked around, Sasuke behind her. "Ino-pig, where are you?"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said tonelessly.

"Fine!" Sakura exclaimed, "Let's go."

They moved up to the front door and Sakura slid her small hand into his much larger calloused one. Once her nimble fingers were entwined with his, Sakura opened the door and they stepped out into the sunlight.

* * *

Well. There's Bound V! 


	12. This Is How We Break

**This Is How We Break.**

* * *

She hated it.

She couldn't breathe; move; speak.

It was all such a blur, it couldn't be right. Naruto was lying. He had to be, even through his tears, his distress, shame and hurt, he had to be lying to her. But when he moved, so slowly and wrapped his arms around her carefully...Like she'd **break** she knew he was telling the truth. She knew he was. But she didn't care. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be, it just couldn't!

But when he pressed his lanky body to her lithe one, and she felt his tears soak her hair, slid down her skin; when she felt the sobs shake his body over and over again, it finally hit her.

Like a brick in the damn face.

Uchiha Sasuke was **D**. **E**. **A**. **D**.

_Killed, murdered, deceased, gone, passed away._

_She'd never see him again. Never tell him she was sorry, never show him what she'd become._

"No!" Her startling cry echoed through the streets of Konoha, nearby villagers looked up to see two young people, one tall, blonde and shaking, the other short, rosette haired and trembling, her green eyes wide with confusion and horror. The blonde held onto his female friend with violently shaking hands, crying into her, sharing her grief.

They stayed like that until a silver-haired jounin appeared and led them away, both still consumed with grief, shaking and holding onto each other. Everyone understood; their worlds had crashed down around them. They were empty.

"I want his name on that _fucking stone, damn it!"_

"Uzumaki Naruto! I understand that you are upset, I know what the Uchiha meant to you but your grief does not give you the right or the status to talk to me in such a tone! I am your elder and your leader, do not forget that!"

"I apologize," He whispered through gritted teeth, "But I will get his name on that stone. Even if I have to carve it myself, Tsunade-baa-chan."

"Don't be so dramatic. I understand the sacrifices everyone has made. I understood that Uchiha Sasuke had eliminated Orochimaru and managed to take Uchiha Itachi with him to his... demise."

Naruto stared at her, angry tears still in his eyes, Sakura huddled in a chair arms folded over her face, shielding her from the words, refusing to realize that Uchiha Sasuke would never come back.

"So instead of getting arrested by ANBU for vandalizing a K.I.A. Konoha Ninjas Monument, I'll just have his name put on there."

"Really?" Naruto's voice was shaky, his eyes were red-rimmed and he looked so broken.

"It'll be there, Naruto."

"Thanks, Tsunade-baa-chan," He squeaked, turning to Sakura.

"Take care of my apprentice, Naruto. You're the only one who can."

Naruto just nodded and picked the broken girl up out of the chair. She let out a muffled whimper and clung onto him, pressing her tear-stained face into his neck.

And this is how we break.

* * *

**_Short, I know._**

**_Comments, please._**

Sorry about the tragedy, it fit my mood. :(

Reviews!


	13. The Crying Sky

**The Crying Sky.**

* * *

This was actually something I had to write in my Pre-AP English class. I was given a sentence to start off with and I had to go from there and use that to make seven paragraphs with dialouge. I changed the paragraphs around here though. But luckily, the sentence I was given pertained to our favorite Naruto pairing. So you get an extra un-planned drabble. Go you!

* * *

'_In time_,' She told herself, '_Everything will be alright, all the trouble will be gone._' But it was a lie. It was the same lie she'd been telling herself everyday for five years. The same lie that had been her mantra since the day he left the village. Left all the people that cared about him. The day he left _her_.

"Thinking about him again?" The girl looked up from where she was seated on a stone bench and her jade eyes met a pair of bright blue ones.

She didn't respond because he already knew the answer. They were always thinking of him: Thinking of what they'd lost.

The blonde boy sat himself next to her enthusiastically but the built up energy in him began to die down when he saw that the look on her face hadn't changed.

"Gomen," He said quietly, tears began to gather in his eyes, "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, I'm sorry I couldn't bring him back for you."

Her eyes flashed momentarily from jade to viridian before they changed back to their original shade, "You know I don't blame you! I don't blame anybody. It's not your fault."

The words echoed in the silence as an avalanche of emotions hit them both with breath-taking force.

The first tear to hit the pavement was his. His cerulean eyes had watered so suddenly that he hadn't had time to stop them from over-flowing. But after the shock of sudden sorrow was flowing through his veins, none of that mattered because the tear on the pavement was followed by a barrage of many more.

There they were: two teammates, two close friends who loved each other on some level, spilling useless buckets of salty tears for a boy that was corrupted by tragedy and an insatiable lust for power.

He had a goal. One that was so important to him, that he was willing to rid himself of all the irreplaceable bonds they forged together. He was willing to sacrifice the only people that he had left to reach that goal. He was prepared to give it all up for that one moment of victory. The boy was bent on becoming stronger and more powerful to avenge the murder of his entire clan. His goal was to kill the man who slaughtered them: To kill his own brother.

The blonde placed his arm around his female companion and they collapsed into each other, both shaking violently.

At that moment, it began to sprinkle and then very quickly, it began to pour. Millions of tiny water droplets washing over them with no other purpose but to wet the dry earth beneath them.

"Look," Her voice made him blink. It was shaky and she sounded so broken... "The sky... The sky is crying, too. All for him."

The blue-eyed boy nodded, his face pointed towards the sky, still holding the girl tight against him. If he let go.. She might crumble. But he didn't think about that. Instead, he thought about the boy and everything that idiot had left behind. Wasn't he supposed to be a genius? He thought about the boy... his best friend, that he'd given up so much for. He thought about how he never regret it.

And as the crying sky's tears hit his cheeks in a gentle down pour, he gave the world a sad smile.


	14. Birthday

**Birthday.**

* * *

ShikaxIno pairing in honor of their birthdays this weekend! **HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BELOVEDS**!

* * *

"So, have you seen Shikamaru lately?"

It was a normal day in September deep inside the throngs of the Leaf Village. Two teenagers, one on the brink of her 19th birthday, were sitting in a café just on the other side of the ramen stand.

_Munch, munch, munch._

"Chouji?"

Said boy looked up from his plate of seven bagels with different cream cheeses and found himself lost in a pair of deep blue eyes that belonged to his long-time friend, Yamanaka Ino.

"Meh?" Was the only reply that came from him before he shoved another bagel (whole) into his mouth and began chewing again, showing Ino his obvious lack of table manors as he splattered her with bits of semi-chewed bagel and cream cheese.

"Ew. Chew with your mouth closed. I said, 'Have you seen Shikamaru lately'?"

"Oh," Chouji answered, followed by an audible 'gulp' as he swallowed the food, "Nah, he's been 'busy' or whatever."

Ino sighed and sipped at her tea, which she was surprised to see had survived Chouji's show of food splatter, "Everytime I go to see him, he makes up some dumb excuse and scurries off. Do you think he forgot my birthday's coming up?"

"His birthday's coming, too, Ino," Chouji thoughtfully reminded her before chowing down on another bagel, this time Cinnamon and Raisin with veggie cream cheese.

"I know that!" She insisted, scrunching up her nose, "But every year we have a joint-party and he still 'forgets' that it's my birthday too. It's like it's too _troublesome_ to remember. He thinks having a party, even for himself, is a drag. I mean, that's so lame. He's so lazy."

"Meh, that's just his personality," Chouji said, shoving a few more bagels into his mouth, "Dai meen, Hwe's duss foo emveelopped en da clowds..."

Ino's brow scrunched up as she deciphered his sentence. Too enveloped in the clouds, eh?

"Well I don't see how that's an excuse to–" She blinked and it seemed like her heart stopped. Outside, through the café's front window, Ino could see the boy in question. With... Tenten? But that made no sense! Shikamaru never saw her, let alone spoke to her, so why was he walking down the street next to her while she chatted on? He didn't look exactly bored, he actually looked like he was listening.

WHAT WAS THE WORLD COMING TO?

"It's.. Shika-kun!" Ino exclaimed after she recieved a questioning look from Chouji, "And he's with.. Tenten."

"Hmmm," Chouji rumbled, "Must be something to do with a mission," He said absently, still focusing mainly on his food.

"Probably..." Ino trailed off, still feeling un-easy about the whole thing. Everyone knew she liked Shikamaru. It was common knowledge, except to him. And Tenten knew very well of Ino's crush, Tenten, Hinata, Ino and Sakura met once a week to keep in touch. If Ino had been listening properly, she remembered that Tenten said she liked Neji! So what was she doing with Shikamaru?

Gulping down the last of her tea somehow gracefully, she ended her visit with Chouji and disappeared into the hordes of the village.

* * *

It was two days later when she saw him again.

"Asuma-sensei," She said, frowning, "I'm sorry. I just can't get this jutsu right!"

The dark-haired man moved over to his only female student and patted her on the back. She sighed and he retracted his hand and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, placing one of the cancer sticks into his mouth, letting it hang there.

"I think you should just keep trying." Asuma said, taking a good look at the clock tower which showed he needed to be home in seven and ½ minutes. "You'll get it Ino, eventually. If you work hard enough, which I know you will."

Ino nodded, sliding herself into her ninjutsu stance. After trying for another fifteen minutes and saying goodbye to Asuma as he hurried off, she decided to take a break. Calmly, she walked over to one of the benches that were placed in the training grounds and pulled a bottle of water out of the bag that sat there. She took a long drink from it and set it down, bringing the back of her hand up to wipe her mouth.

After that, she pulled out a tube of berry red Chap Stick and moved it over her slightly chapped lips.

Which is when he saw him.

And once again, he wasn't alone.

"Is that... Hinata?" She asked herself in disbelief. Once Shikamaru's head moved again, she saw the blushing Hyuuga walking along side him, speaking shyly. They were headed into the village, she saw, and neither seemed to notice her.

Her brow wrinkled in confusion... Hinata still liked Naruto... even though Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke pretty much made it clear that they were 'together'... whatever that meant. Tenten and herself had tried to get Sakura to spill the details but the rosette haired kunoichi would just blush and look away. (_Hmmm!_) Hinata didn't like Shikamaru. She knew who he was, that was all! So once again, what was she doing with him?

Why did life have to be so cruel?

* * *

Today was Shikamaru's birthday, and tomorrow was hers. Every year since they had turned 14, they'd had a joint party at midnight with their sensei's, their parents and all of rookie 9. Er.. The Konoha Eleven, now Konoha twelve. Give or take a dog or two.

Surprisingly, even with all the hub-ubb going on with Shika, she was still excited for this party. She hadn't seen him a lot lately, and she lived in the next apartment over, for heaven's sake!

Feeling completely joyous, she skipped (yes, _skipped_) out of her apartment and down the streets until she started receiving amused and odd stares from the passer-bys. Still, even walking, she had a bounce in her step, she didn't think there was anything that could bring her mood down today.

Unfortunately, she was wrong.

She strode contentedly into the Yamanaka Flower Shop for the shift she promised her mother. Several customers came in throughout the day, wishing her an early birthday and several boys asking for her phone number. Still, she happily (a little _too_ happily) declined them and politely refused to give out her phone number. She helped several customers pick out flower arrangements for wedding presents, get-well platters and just because gifts.

Once her shift was done at 3:30, she bounced excitedly out of the shop.

Only to see Shikamaru across the road with yet _another_ girl. This time was the worst. It was her best friend, the rosette haired kunoichi.

"Sakura!" The voice belonged to Uzumaki Naruto and she watched as the blonde ran enthusiastically over to them. Sasuke trailed behind the energetic kyuubi container looking positively miserable.

Her jaw dropped as Naruto leaned over and kissed Sakura on the lips. The girl laughed and then grabbed the open collar of the Uchiha's shirt and pulled him in for one too. Shikamaru was watching this as well, a blank look on his face.

So Shikamaru and Sakura _weren't_ on a date?

She shook her head and re-focused her eyes on Sakura and Shikamaru, watching as Sakura waved goodbye to Naruto and Sasuke and _took Shikamaru's hand_, pulling him into a shop. And that's the moment when Sasuke's dark eyes wandered across the street and locked with hers. He smirked and walked away, Naruto trailing behind him this time.

To her, this was the weirdest day ever.

* * *

Later that night, Ino was waiting at her apartment for Sakura, who was supposed to come and get her to escort her to her birthday party. She was dressed in a light purple empire tank top with a pair of casual, comfortable blue jeans. For shoes, she had slipped on a pair of black light purple slippers. In her ears there were the pair of diamond earrings her daddy had gotten her for her 13th birthday. Her hair was up in it's normal ponytail and she had some light lip gloss and a little bit of purple eyeshadow on her eye lids, which opened to reveal happy blue eyes that were brought out by a blue moon on a silver chain that dangled around her neck. The only other thing she had on her was a sliver ring that had the kanji for love inscribed on it which was adorned on her right ring finger.

The blonde sighed and checked her outfit twice before entering her living room and feeding the two goldfish she owned and poking her head around the corner of the kitchen looking for the skittish kitten that he father had gotten her just three days before.

It had golden fur and big brown eyes (like Shikamaru's) that she loved. She called him 'Shi', 'Shi-Shi' and 'Niko'.

Once she'd set out a small dish of food and put fresh water in the kitten's dish, she walked into the living room and plopped herself down on the couch. Her mind wandered to Shikamaru once again and she didn't have long to day dream before there was a knock at her door.

Eagerly, she stood and went to the door to answer it, finding an all too cheery Sakura there. Her friend was wearing a pair of tan kunoichi shorts with a light green U neck shirt and a gold necklace that had pink heart on it.

"Ready to go?" Her friend asked, stepping out of the way to allow Ino room to come outside. Ino nodded and closed the door quickly, following Sakura down the steps and into the street. This year, the party was going to be held at Sakura's new house that she was apparently sharing with Naruto and Sasuke. (Or so she guessed). It was a good sized house for only three people and there was a big yard.

Ino knew right away when they arrived, that she was the last one there.

There were fire-works exploding in the sky just above the house and she could hear Naruto's shouts, Chouji's loud chomping, her father's laugh and Akamaru's barking.

Sakura led her through the house (which seemed to be void of people) and into the backyard.

It was exploding with activity, there were streamers lining the trees and balloons tied to everything that was stable. Asuma looked to be in control of the grill which was cooking chicken as far as she could tell and there was a big snack table that Chouji seemed to have glued himself to.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY INO!"

Ino laughed as her father tackled her into a bear hug, followed by a barrage of laughter and some more conversation. She spotted Shikamaru talking to Sasuke, and placed her present for Shikamaru on the table piled high with different boxes of all shapes and sizes.

When the night was coming to a close, she still hadn't been able to talk to Shikamaru. Sighing, she helped (a drunk) Kiba up and into Sakura's house where she deposited him into one of Sakura's guest rooms. And when she went back out there, there was only a few people left. Naruto was passed out on the ground at Sakura's feet. Sasuke was talking quietly to her. Kakashi was in the middle of shouting goodbye before he poofed away. Akamaru was lying fast asleep under the snack table and Shikamaru was sitting in a chair that faced the small pond in the yard. His head was tilted upwards, and he seemed to be engrossed in the stars.

"Ino," Sakura said, surprising her, "Are you staying here?"

"Probably not," Ino said sighing, "I have to go to the family dinner later on today at 7:30."

Sakura nodded in understanding. The party had run late this year and it was now 4:30 in the morning.

"Okay. Well, I'm just going to move Akamaru inside with Kiba while Sasuke moves Naruto and then we're going to go to sleep. Shikamaru said he'd go home eventually."

Ino nodded and said thank you before Sakura went to take care of the big dog still lying happily under the snack table.

And a few minutes later, only she and Shikamaru were left outside in the dark backyard.

"Shikamaru?" Ino asked quietly, walking over to where he was sitting.

"Oi. Ino. Happy Birthday."

"Ditto," She said with a small smile, "Where have you been lately? I never see you anymore."

"I was just busy..." He said in a bored tone before turning to her. "Come with me, I want to give you your birthday present."

Ino's eyebrows hit her hairline. "Oh?"

Shikamaru gave her a level look, "Are you coming?" He asked, standing up and stretching.

"Hai," She responded.

He led her out of Sakura's backyard and into the darkness and after several minutes of walking, he stopped and what Ino saw took her breath away.

There before her, was a field of forget-me-not's, all in their blooming stage. Their purple color was cast in a white glow as the light from the moon shone down upon them.

"Oh... Shika..."

"I thought this could be our spot. I know it's not much," The lazy boy said, "But Hinata, Tenten and Sakura said it had to come from my heart."

"Tenten, Hinata and S... So, that's what you were doing with them!" Ino exclaimed, blinking. They were helping him come up with a birthday present for her!

"Uh-huh," Shikamaru sighed and turned to her, "Look Ino, what I really want to do is..."

And then his lips crashed into hers and she forgot all of her foolishness. She finally had him. She finally had him after everything, and it was the best birthday present that he had ever remembered to give her.


	15. Outtakes

**Outtakes.**

* * *

"Hello. My name is…" He paused, cringing beneath his mask, knowing what would unintentionally come next, "Hata-_ke_ _Ka-ka_-shi. You see, my mother was born with turrets and…"

He looked up to see his three potential students staring at him, jaws gaping wide open, sweat drops decorating the backs of their heads, eyes large and round.

"Don't do that," Kakashi warned, "You might swallow a spider." Other than Sakura instantly shutting her mouth, none of their expressions changed, "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

The dark haired boy rolled his onyx colored eyes.

"We… can't see your teeth," The female said slowly, blinking.

"You're mother was born with turrets? Can we get another sensei? I mean, I need an amazing, strong, awesome sensei so that I can be Hokage. DATTEBAYO!"

"Why do you wear a mask?" Ah, so the Uchiha _did_ speak!

"Maybe it's because he's got big kissy lips," Naruto whispered over to them, "Or maybe it's because he's got big beaver teeth and--"

"Stop that," Kakashi chided, "You're not supposed to think about that for another 98 episodes."

"Hatake!" Sakura wailed, "We're recording! You can't say that!"

"Yeah! We're supposed to be in character," Naruto laughed smugly, "Mr. Hata-ke Ka-Kashi, My-Mother-Was-Born-With-Turrets."

"You people are so annoying. I'm going to get pizza. I've had enough ramen to last me until I die. If I ever see another bowl, it'll be too soon."

"SASUKE-TEME! Ramen is good, do not insult it."

"You really like ramen, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, "I thought that was just for the show."

"You think that I could eat like 10 bowls of ramen in one-shot if I hated the stuff?"

"Oh," Kakashi smiled sheepishly, reaching behind himself to scratch his head, "No, probably not."

"Whatever," Sakura replied absently, "I'm going with Sasuke. Be in character when I get back. We need to film this! And Sasuke!" She turned to the boy who a few feet ahead of her. "Last time you wanted those tomatoes I couldn't look at anything tomato-y for a month and a half! We're not getting extra-tomatoes this time!"

"What? Yes we are, woman!"

Their bickering was lost to the other two 'members' of team seven as the two disappeared down the street towards the pizza parlor.

"So, Hatake, what should we do now?"

"It's Kakashi-sensei, to you, Naruto," The man replied passively, "I think we should go to our trailers and EAT."

"Nah. I just had like six bowls of ramen in that last take."

"Fine, whatever," The silver haired actor sighed, "I'm so not paid enough for this."

"You're paid _enough_. They can fire _you_, but they can't fire me. I'm the _STAR_ of the show."

"They won't fire me, I'm too cool," Kakashi said smartly, "Too cool for school."

"Oh they'll _definitely_ fire you _now_, idiot," Naruto rolled his cerulean eyes, "Too cool for school? Little kids watch this show!"

"Well… school _is lame_!" Kakashi defended, "Are you a nerd?"

"NO! It's true! School is lame," Naruto let out a small whimper, "I'm not a nerd.. I'm a ninja…"

"NARUTO!" Iruka came out of nowhere, pouncing on the boy, looking like he was about to have another nose-bleed. "SCHOOL IS NOT LAME! How could you say that!?"

"Gomen-nasai," Naruto said, taking a step back and hiding behind Kakashi."

"Iruka, leave the boy alone. He's the _star_."

"YEAH! I'm the star!"

Iruka walked off. "If we're taking this scene again, I'll be in my trailer _eating_. Without my mask," Kakashi said blankly and walked away as well.

"Oi," Naruto said blankly. "This set needs a little more… Naruto to it."

A trademark grin flashed across his face as a thought surfaced in his head.

"Perfect."

* * *

**At the Pizza Parlor.**

* * *

"Sasuke, I told you NO."

"But… Sakura…." The boy whined, pouting, with gigantic puppy eyes, "Tomatoes are amazing."

"Whatever."

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," The Uchiha chimed, happily eating his piece of pizza with extra tomatoes.

"Hn," Sakura muttered, staring at hers with disgust, "How can you eat so many tomatoes?"

"They're really good. Without them…" He looked up at her darkly, "It wouldn't be the same."

"Oh please," Sakura said, not thrown by the Uchiha's antics. "Just eat your extra tomatoes like a good boy."

"Mmkay."

She watched with a straight face as the dark haired boy downed two more slices of pizza with extra-tomatoes before she looked away. This is how the lunches always were.

"Arigato, Sakura," The boy said when the pizza was gone, followed by an uncharacteristic burp.

"We need to get back to work," Sakura srunched up her nose in disgust, "Kishimoto-senpai is probably getting antsy."

"Fine," The boy conceded, standing.

It wasn't until they got back to the set that Sakura really freaked out.

"WHAT THE…?"

Their set was in ruins. And there, in the middle of the debris, was Uzumaki Naruto.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screeched, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

He turned red and put his hands up in defense, "It wasn't me, Sakura-chan! Believe it! The Naruto look-a-likes that play my kage bunshin went berserk and started fighting each other!"

"SHANNARO!"

Sasuke started laughing, causing Sakura to turn towards him. "We don't get PAID if we don't FILM THE SHOW!" She shouted at him, fire in her eyes.

Sasuke's laughter died down.

And suddenly, Echizen Ryoma from The Prince Of Tennis walked into the area from the direction of the P.O.T set and stood looking shocked at the amount of damage. And then he stared at them.

After several minutes of silence, Sasuke snapped. "YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?"

Ryoma sweat dropped, "Mada Mada Dane."

Sasuke glared at him until he was out of sight.

Too bad for the Uchiha, it didn't end there. Next came Eiji and Momoshiro, fighting about something. They didn't even take notice when Eiji walked too close to Naruto and stepped on his foot. The blonde shrieked but the scream was lost on deaf ears.

"DATTEBAYO!"

After them, Ichigo, Rukia and Renji from Bleach came out of their working environment. They invited Sakura and Sasuke to dinner, but Naruto started to cry and Sakura had to go console him so Sasuke declined the offer.

But when Kyo and Hari from Fruits Basket walked onto their ruined set, Sakura couldn't help herself. She hugged Kyo- he was too cute to resist.

Fortunately, he didn't turn into his Zodiac animal form… that was special effects.

"I love your show," Sakura said, flashing the orange haired man a smile, "It's so brilliant. I wish I could turn into an animal sometimes."

"No you don't," A voice said from the side, "Cats are messy and they can't clean up after themselves."

"YUKI SOHMA!" Naruto and Sakura shouted, both turning, "Oh, for the love of Kami."

* * *

**Just a little taste of some outtakes. There will be more.**

**I don't know. I'm soooo behind on my updating that I thought comedy would be a treat. ;)**


	16. Cannot

_I Can't; A contraction_: **Cannot.**

* * *

"_I can't_." 

That's all she ever says anymore.

"Come with me to Ichiraku's, Sakura-chan," I ask her everyday even though I know the answer. It's like clock-work. I ask, she says she can't.

A dance, unknowingly choreographed, I beg, I plead, I ask, I try and she always has the same excuse, the same answer, a cycle. The only time she spends with me is when we're sparring or on missions. Even then she doesn't smile, try to crack a joke or even bump me on the head for anything provocative that spills from my desperate mouth. Kakashi-sensei even tries, saying perverted things but she just looks at him blankly. We can't even get violent reactions from her anymore. There is either determination, blankness or sorrow. And she is so frail, so small... she barely eats. Only enough to keep going, she says that eating big meals takes up training time.

She has no tolerance for anything but what she's dedicated her existence to.

She wants to be stronger, she has to get stronger. It's the only way she'll ever be happy with herself. And even then, I'm not so sure she'll be fully satisfied. She always thinks she can do more.

She thinks she needs to help me with my own promise. She thinks that if she helps me, then maybe she'll amount to something, and next time, she'll be able to stop the bastard before he even thinks about disappearing from her life again.

Because I know that in her head, she was never good enough.

And truth be told, in the onyx eyes of our betrayer, _she wasn't_.

He was my best friend. He was my partner. He was my opponent. He was my teammate.

Now, he's my mission. He's my target. He's what I'm protecting my village from. He is what I am against.

And all _she_ ever does is train. She works, and bleeds and cries and breaks. She refuses to go to Ichiraku's, to the park, to any other store but the market. She won't take part in group activities, it's all too much, cause she thinks it would be wrong... they're missing a member of their team, they can't do anything they used to...it wouldn't be the same.

I never give up. Not on the bastard who broke her, who betrayed our friendship and this village. Not on her, the girl who I've loved since forever, who works so hard for someone who doesn't deserve it. Who tries and trains and sweats for other people.

"Please, Sakura-chan?"

There is a hesitation in her eyes, maybe she'll give in. I know one day she will. One day soon, if not today, she will take hold of my hand and she will give in to my offer. She will be a girl again and not a robot who never feels and always works.

"I...can't."

But that day is not today.

I think she'll make it. I hope she will.

And if she doesn't... it'll be his fault.

And I will lose it.

* * *

**Ahh. Naruto POV, Short. I will update Drabble Anthology again tonight or tomorrow with a NejiTen that has been requested. Obsidian Petals is going to be really, really late. That chapter is a killer... but I wrote out the lemon! We're getting there, I promise.**


	17. Plan GHJSHRHHF

**Plan GHJSHRHHF**

(Plan Get-Hyuuga-Jealous-So-He'll-Realize-He-Has-Feelings)

* * *

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own any of the characters that I have bastardized in this story, or otherwise. HA.

* * *

"I.. Uhm... sure." 

Those were the few words that shocked Hyuuga Neji. His once cold emotionless exterior sagged with confusion. His eyebrows were arched in surprise and his mouth was slightly open, accentuating his astonishment.

The face of the boy beside him lit up with joy, his bowl-like haircut bouncing up and down with his jumping body and then swishing back and landing in the same style as if it had never moved at all.

"Oh Kami, Tenten! Thank you so much for accepting my invitation to dinner! You have saved me much sorrow and loneliness! I will thank you by running one-hundred and fifty laps around Konohagakure and picking you up at 7 O'clock tomorrow!"

"Oh.. Okay, Lee..." Tenten raised an eyebrow slightly and watched Lee run off into the distance. When he disappeared from sight, her attention fell upon the Hyuuga, who still hadn't gained his composure. "...Neji...?"

He blinked, suddenly aware that Lee was gone and that Tenten was staring at him. He shut his mouth abruptly, stood up straight and folded his arms across his chest, throwing his nose in the air to accentuate the cruel gleam in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"Tenten asked, still watching him with a confused expression, "You look like you just got hit by lightning."

"You accepted his invitation," Neji said tonelessly, keeping his lavender eyes on the clouds, "Why?"

"I don't know. I guess because he needed someone to go with."

He frowned, "Whatever."

"Is something bothering you, Neji?" Tenten asked, suddenly suspicious. "You seem... angrier than normal."

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," Neji replied stiffly. He looked at her, taking in her hurt expression and stalked off toward the Hyuuga estate.

Tenten stood there, watching him go.

"Green-Runner, Cherry-Tree, Yellow-Flower, The plan worked," Tenten said quietly into her headphone, "Plan Get-Hyuuga-Jealous-So-He'll-Realize-He-Has-Feelings is in motion."

"Good job, Tenten, Lee," Came the voice of Haruno Sakura, currently being known as 'Cherry-Tree'.

"Arigato, Sakura-san!" Lee exclaimed over the microphone, causing Tenten to frown and remove it from her ear momentarily.

"You're welcome, I knew it would work."

"I said it would work first," Ino's voice rang out over the headset. "Don't try to take my credit, Forehead."

"Acutally, Ino-Pig, you said, '_This will never work, it's the stupidest plan I've ever heard of.'"_

"Whatever, same difference."

"No. That's the complete opposite, Ino-pig. Get it straight."

"You guys, shhh..." Tenten hissed, her eyes catching sight of the Hyuuga male once again, "Oh no! He's coming back!"

Neji was distressed as he walked back toward the weapons mistress. He had this... feeling that he didn't like. He didn't know what it was, he just didn't like it. So he decided to do something about it.

"Tenten," The stoic boy stopped in front of her, an annoyed look on his pale face. "This may seem inappropriate and rude, but I request that you decline Lee's offer."

A shocked look clouded over on Tenten's face as her eyes blinked rapidly. There's no way... "Why?" She asked, her eyebrows arched.

"Because I would like you to... accompany _me_ to dinner."

Tenten's jaw almost fell off her face. Taking this as a yes, Neji smirked. "See you at 7."

And suddenly, he felt better. The unpleasant feeling seemed to be gone. He walked away down the street, his face no longer marred by anger. It was just plain stoic, the Hyuuga males always got what they wanted.

Tenten frowned and blinked rapidly again, trying to clear her thoughts. Ino didn't help when she began to fuss and squeal.

"OH MY GOD! HE ASKED YOU OUT ON IN THE FIRST STAGE OF GHJSHKJD!"

"Ino-pig! You just about made me go deaf! And it's Plan GHJSHRHHF, not whatever you said!"

"Congratulations, Tenten!" Lee's voice rang over the headphone, "Does this mean I will no longer be taking you out?"

"Don't worry Lee," Sakura said, sounding exasperated, "You'll find someone."

"Does this mean you will go out with me, Sakura-san!?"

Sakura sighed.

If only things could be as easy as making Neji realize he had feelings.


	18. Drunk Passion

**Drunk Passion**.

* * *

_Disclaimer:_ Hmm. I'm in hell, dealing with highschool drama. I wouldn't even be in HIGHSCHOOL if I owned anything significant.

* * *

He could smell the alcohol on her breath. And she could smell it on his, too.

They just didn't notice.

_Skin._

_Hair._

_Eyes._

_Nose._

_Lips._

_Legs._

_Arms._

_Chest_.

Too many things at once, his talented eyes were seeing too many things at once, her skin... it went on forever. It wasn't flawless like he thought it would be. It was scarred and he could see a small birth mark on her hip.

Her nails made moon like shapes on his back and her moans filled his ears. Everything thing was so loud, the smells were stronger, he could feel the muscles moving beneath her silky skin. Her mouth tasted so good, like the cherry icee she'd eaten just after dinner. Her hair was soft and perfect, even with their movements.

She ran her hands unconsciously over his abs. They were hard and doused with sweat. He kept moving and her eyes tried to get to his, but she got easily distracted by the hair that was falling in his eyes. She reached up and touched it, tugging on it and then pushing it out of his eyes.

The onyx orbs were focused on her, her face, her_ reaction_. She could feel his hands move around and grasp her hips, pulling her towards him, squeezing her tightly against him. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and his eyelashes against her cheek. She could smell his hair and his sweat.

He could feel her pleasure, her confusion and her curiousity. He was never like this when he was sober. He was never one to feel, one to understand, one to touch. He was never one to whisper hot nothings in her ears.

She wasn't one to forgive. She wasn't one to let him in. She wasn't one to breathe with _him_ around.

And the best part?

They wouldn't remember it in the morning.


	19. Time

_NaruSasuSaku_

**Time.**

* * *

Disclaimer: Grr. My english muffin is squishy instead of crispy.

* * *

**Homecoming.**

Sakura's washing the dishes and humming softly to herself when Ino comes in. The blonde, for once, is silent, watching her pink-haired friend do the dishes as she hums a tune that Ino isn't familiar with.

Sakura doesn't even notice that she's crying until she picks up Sasuke's favorite tea cup and Naruto's treasured ramen bowl and cleans them, sticking them into the drying rack.

She doesn't even notice that she'd saved those for last.

When she turns, Ino is there with her arms wide open and Sakura collapses into them. She misses them so much, and she's so worried... they've been gone for a month.

"It'll be alright," Ino coaches calmly as they both sink to the floor, her arms around her friend, "They're strong."

Sakura knows that, but it doesn't stop the rivers flowing from her eyes, and it doesn't stop her from staring out the window hours later after Ino has gone, and the rivers have dried.

Over the last month, she's found that she can't sleep without them at night, she can't sleep not knowing if they'll return to her, she just can't sleep.

So when she faintly hears the door open, she's up in a flash, kunai in hand (just in case), and to the right of the door. She presses herself up against the wall, and her heart drops when only one figure enters the room. She can only make out his shadow, and she can see him looking at the bed, and a second later, his head turns towards her. His eyes are red and she freezes.

"Sakura-chan?" The red fades and bright blue is in place of those, and she flinches and jumps a little to the right when a hand comes out of nowhere and turns on the light and she can see his worried expression. His eyes move from her face to the kunai clutched tightly to her chest and then back to her face. Her eyes are wide, shocked.

There is movement as the hand that was resting on the lightswitch drops down out of the room for a moment before the owner steps fully into the room. Sasuke is looking at them both with a blank expression, his eyes locked on Sakura's shocked appearance and Naruto's worried face.

"What's going on?" He asks slowly, moving towards Sakura. His hand reaches hers and he gently tugs the kunai away from her. It drops to the floor with a clattering sound and both men sigh. Sasuke embraces her, and Naruto does as well. There in the middle of the bedroom, the three are locked in a big bear hug, and Sakura's crying again.

"Oh Kami," She says, after a moment, smiling sheepishly, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just missed you guys so much, and I was so worried..."

Naruto gives her a smile, a bright one, and Sasuke looks at her, letting her know he understands. Naruto flashes Sasuke a grin over her shoulder when Sakura buries her head in his orange-clad chest. Sasuke rolls his eyes, and walks out of the room, leaving Naruto to console Sakura.

She hugs him tightly and only removes her head when his chest begins vibrating with the sound of his deep chuckles at her distress. She pulls away and slaps his chest playfully, and then looks around.

Her question is answered when Sasuke walks back in with a cup of tea. He holds it out to her and she smiles at him warmly before accepting it.

* * *

**Christmas.**

Sasuke wonders with a scowl why he deals with them. He's sitting at a table in between them staring at the rest of Rookie 9 and Gai's team all around. It's Christmas Eve and he hates it because he remembers when his mother, father and Itachi used to sit around the table, making casual conversation, his mother on his left and his brother on his right.

His father was always in between Itachi and his mother... he felt it was safer.

Neji's staring at him coldly from his position next to Tenten and Lee, who are talking animatedly with Sakura and Ino. Hinata's next to Kiba, and Naruto's talking to them, while Shino sits in silence. Shikamaru's on the other side of Ino and next to Chouji, who he's talking with. He and Chouji glance briefly at him, and he pretends not to notice.

He's really uncomfortable and he wants to leave but Sakura's hand is suddenly under the table on his knee and he's very conscious of Naruto's shoulder rubbing against his.

Tenten turns to Neji and he smirks at the Uchiha.

As Naruto's shoulder is pressed against his own, and Sakura begins small soothing circles on his leg, Sasuke remembers why he deals with them.

* * *

**Malfunction.**

Her hair is so soft and silky, and he wants it to be pasted to his skin forever. His eyes are so dark and smoldering with hostility and a rough sense of daringness that Naruto wishes that they would stay like this forever.

She's in between them, shouting, but he doesn't hear the words. He's too busy being angry at Sasuke and wondering why his arm hurts. When he looks down he sees Sakura's small pale hand and her crushing grip on his arm.

But he doesn't care because he just heard what Sasuke said and he's too proud to let it go. He's about to open his mouth when her grip tightens.

Sasuke's on her other side, trying to yank his wrist away from her firm grasp as well but she isn't relenting. They both know that she hates it when they fight, and that she refuses to let them hurt each other. He's about to back down but Sasuke opened his small arrogant mouth again.

This time, he won't silence himself.

"_SHUT THE FUCK UP, TEME,_" The roar was the last thing before the white noise.

It had not been his voice, but a mixture of his and the Kyuubi's. Sakura and Sasuke are frozen, both staring at him in shock. Sasuke of course, is the first to recover and his emotionless mask is back in place. Sakura lets go of his arm and Sasuke's wrist and backs up a little so that they're in their triangle formation.

It hurts him but he can feel her fear. He can see Sasuke's un-sureness and his scrutinizing gaze.

"I think that we should just go home," She says in a shaky voice, looking between the two of us, "This day has been a little much for me."

Sasuke nods but Naruto can see the looks that he's receiving. They are disapproving. He has scared Sakura, and that is not allowed. Naruto hangs his head and begins to follow his two lovers home. But he stops abruptly when Sakura's hand finds it's way into his own, and he sees that they are all linked. He is surprised: he just scared her, showed her that he wasn't all human, and she is still touching him. She is still loving him. He knows that if Sakura was not there, he and Sasuke wouldn't ever talk or have even been friends. She is their link, she is their glue.

He knows he is nothing without them, and that if the Kyuubi ever took over, the beast would leave them alone.

The thing he doesn't know, is why.

The Kyuubi is a demon, an ancient nine-tailed fox without feelings of love, so why do the thoughts that the Kyuubi voice in his mind seem so... kind towards them? He sounds like he's just _that _fond of them. Everytime Naruto sees Sakura in pain, or Sasuke with a bruise, he can feel the demon inside get furious.

The odd thing is, it makes him feel more comfortable around them, knowing that neither side of him would ever lay a finger on them. Well... maybe Sasuke... but in his opinion, that boy just needed his ass whooped a little.

She says his name carefully and he notices he's been doing the space cadet routine again. He shrugs their looks off and smiles, allowing himself to be pulled off towards their home again.

He supposes that if he has to deal with the Kyuubi, he's happy that the thing at least likes them too. That's got to count for something.

* * *

**WOW**. I am such a lazy ass. I'm sorry I haven't updated in like _a year_. Okay, that's me exaggerating, but I'm serious. _I'm really sorry_. And what sucks is that I won't be able to update often still because I've got school and I'm a Skiwee Instructor up at Jiminy Peak in Mass. And I have to teach the little kids how to ski.

So that's going to take up my weekends when I could be sitting here writing up a chapter for all of you whom I know and love and who stop by for a little "read". (I don't know. My dad says it.)

But I might be able to get a chapter in here and there and maybe a couple drabbles.

Who knows? Time flies when you're having fun.

Until next time,

**REVIEW!**


	20. Kick Ass

_Kick ass

* * *

_**Disclaimer:** Do you think I'd be writing you all pretty random drabbles and doing my English Lit essay if I owned this amazing story line? Pfft. Take that as a big FAT NO. 

**This is going to be in three parts.**

* * *

_Life keeps getting in the way..._

She sighed and the lightning flashed, the pouring rain beating down on her lithe form relentlessly. She knew she had to find some place dry, and soon, she was probably going to get sick and even though she'd finished her mission, she didn't think it was a good idea. She hated being sick. It made her feel weak, and she wasn't weak anymore.

She stopped, spotting a cave and abruptly ran into it. She pulled a kunai out of the holster on her thigh and looked around cautiously, scanning the cave for signs of life, bears, bats, people.

She got nothing. Being content with that, she moved deeper into the cave finding an alcove. After digging out a single large vanilla-scented candle, she stopped momentarily and used a little chakra to more throughly search the cave and surrounding area. Once she was satisfied, she looked back at her candle. Performing a small fire jutsu, she lit the candle and held it out. The alcove took her breath away. It was spacious and there seemed to be a hot-spring embedded in it. She smiled lightly, it was the perfect way to warm up.

She stripped herself of her sopping wet clothes and laid them to dry in the corner along with her backpack. She had only one other change of clothes...and they were from her mission. Her.. Well, her espionage mission. Yes, Sakura _darling_ had played a stripper for information. Which she'd gotten and it was all stored in the back of her mind.

Not bothering to un-mask her chakra, she climbed nimbly into the warm water, sighing contentedly as it washed over her body, warming her up to the core. She sat in the water for awhile, her eyes watching the wall blankly with a sad tinge to them. She breathed a sigh of surprise when she snapped back to attention.

She could've sworn she heard something towards the entrance of the cave. She climbed out of the hot spring silently and pulled on a thin robe she kept in her bag. After that, she snatched up the candle and extinguished it, slipping to the side, waiting for something...anything to appear. She was so caught up in the moment, she almost did scream when she sensed something.. Well, someone... come around the corner. There were four of them, and she knew she was probably in trouble.

"I smell...something," One of the voices said. It was male, Sakura was sure. She swore under her breath, mentally cursing herself for not buying the scent-less candle.

"Vanilla," Another voice said, this one female. There's someone in here."

"So much for your amazing chakra sensing powers," Another voice said sarcastically, "You're useless."

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" The female voice screeched.

Sakura froze. Suigetsu? She knew that name from somewhere. It was so familiar...

"You're all idiots," Another voice pointed out blankly. Sakura almost couldn't stop her sharp intake of breath. She knew that voice. That cold, emotionless voice. She knew it like the back of her hand. It was a deeper than last time she'd heard it, but it was the same.

That was it. Suigetsu was from Sasuke's...new team. Team Snake. Team Hebi. She was, but some strange twist of fate, in the same cave as Sasuke and his team. And damn it, this was the first mission she'd had in a year without Naruto. Gosh! Where was that boy when you needed him?

"Uchiha, can't you give us some light please?"

Sakura panicked. She formed the hand signs so quickly, she wasn't sure she'd done the jutsu right at first. But when she turned into a bird and gently flapped her wings so that she was on one of the dark ledges, she knew she might have a chance. Except she was still wet. Which was very awkward.

There was some rustling and a, "Fire: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

The alcove lit up, including her ledge. If she could speak english as a bird, she would have shouted some colorful words. She saw that someone had placed a bunch of dry twigs off to the right of the hot spring and that's what Sasuke had been aiming at.

"This is interesting," The girl said, looking around, "I know there's someone here. But I don't see anyone."

"Look," The man Sakura understood was Suigetsu said, pointing to her bag. Again. She would've been swearing.

"Sasuke-kun," The girl whined, "These clothes are still wet and the candle is still warm."

"Hn," Sasuke moved out into the opening and Sakura almost lost her hold on the jutsu. He was beautiful, just as he used to be. She only took her eyes off of him when the red-head began rustling through her bag. Her bird-eyes narrowed as Karin sifted through it.

"There's no identification. Not even a head band," She said nonchalantly. "I guess we'll have to find her to figure out who she is."

Sasuke just stood in the middle of everything, arms folded stiffly across his chest. He was wet, his hair plastered to his face and neck, his shirt was...happily see-through and his pants were clinging to his legs. Sakura mentally grinned. Juugo was wet as well, Suigetsu looked content and Karin just looked like a whore. Her short shorts were hiked up even higher on her thighs, and her top was plastered to her. There were rain drops on her glasses, and she grinned over at Sasuke.

"I think we should find this girl and then all relax happily in the hot spring."

Sakura inwardly groaned, they'd find her, even if she was a bird. Plus, the only thing the jutsu was doing was slowly draining her chakra. She knew she could take Karin, maybe Suigetsu, but definitely not Juugo when he was angry. She didn't have full chakra. There was no way. She knew that maybe she could take if she had her chakra reserves fully charged and he was her only opponent. Which wasn't the case.

She decided the only choice she had was to get out of there and run for it.

She teeter-tottered on the edge of the ledge watching them all wearily. Sasuke and Karin had both looked at the bird disinterestedly, and Sasuke turned his back to her. Karin eyed her for a moment before turning her attention to Sasuke.

Sakura took this chance to hop down the ledge into the shadows. She finally reached the ground again a few seconds later and she shifted towards the darkness coming from the outdoors where it was still pouring. She was almost to the entrance of the alcove when he said it.

"Hello, Sakura."

She froze and let go of the jutsu, keeping her back to him. She was trembling slightly and she could feel the shocked stares of Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin on her back. As calmly as she could, she asked him, "How'd you know?"

"I recognize the outfit," He replied tonelessly, referring to the wet clothes next to her bag.

She looked down slowly, making sure her robe was on well enough and turned to face him. He was watching her with an emotion-less expression, and her hair was dripping on her shoulders.

She said nothing, just stared at him just as blankly.

"Sasuke-kun... who's the–"

"Girl?" Suigetsu asked, he looked like he wanted to jump her. Sakura took an unconsious step back.

Sasuke didn't answer, instead kept his intense stare on Sakura. She removed her gaze and brought it to his jaw line, determined not to get caught in a genjutsu.

"Am I a threat to you?" She asked, blinking lazily.

"No," he said, still emotionless, "You're not."

"Then I'll be leaving now."

She turned away and moved for her bag but stopped when he heard him.

"No, you won't."

Karin let out a startled gasp, Juugo and Suigetsu stared at him incredulously.

"Why not?" Sakura said, keeping her back to him, "If I'm not a threat."

"Because," Sasuke said in monotone. "I can't have you running off to Konoha and telling the Hokage. I have neither the patience or the time to deal with the dobe or a bunch of hunter nin."

Sakura couldn't hold in her scoff. "You've got to be kidding me." Behind her, the four intruders were silent. "You think I'd waste my time or the time of Konoha nin and send them after _you_? No, I don't think so. We have way more important things to deal with. I don't feel the need to send anyone after your traitor ass. Kami, I don't even feel inclined to try to convince you to come back." She turned to him, ignoring the other three, "I hope you weren't expecting the whole 'Ohh, please, Sasuke-_kun_, come back with me. _We need you_.' Cause it isn't gonna happen."

Suigetsu watched the girl with his sharp eyes. She was pretty, and obviously very feisty. He fought a toothy grin for a moment and waited for the Uchiha's response. Sasuke didn't say anything, but apparently Karin had listened to enough, "Don't talk to Sasuke-kun like that, bitch."

Sakura smirked, crossing her arms over her chest and raised a thin, peach eyebrow. "Make me."

Suigetsu didn't even have time to think before Karin had lunged. And landed six feet behind where she had originally been standing beside Sasuke. His eyes widened as he realized Sakura had barely moved in order to send his most annoying teammate flying. His eyes flickered over to Sasuke, who was composed, but deep under the surface of his stoic face, Suigetsu could see the temporary surprised state of mind that the Uchiha seemed to be in lately.

"Oooh," Suigetsu commented. "I think we should trade stick-woman over there for uhm, Sakura did you say? Plus she's hot."

Sasuke snorted, Karin glared at him from her (now) standing position behind Sasuke and Juugo continued to survey her.

"I think it really is time for me to get going," Sakura said blankly, "I wouldn't want to hinder your 'journey', ne?"

She moved for her bag again and Karin went for her. Sakura spun in a small circle and brought her arm out, her fingertips glowing a happy green and touched Karin's neck as soon as she was in range. The girl dropped to the floor and Sakura swiped her bag up off the ground. She moved for the exit but Sasuke was there in an instant, standing in front of the only way out.

"Tch."

"Sasuke, I think you need to re-think your strategy." Sakura smirked at him, looking back at him lazily. "You want Karin to help defeat Kisame while you try and take out your brother, ne? The funniest thing about that is, she can't even take out me, the weakest, most annoying, emotional girl on your genin team. That's pretty pathetic."

Sasuke didn't look affected by her words, but she could tell he was contemplating them. His eyes scanned her face as he tried to decide wether she was right, wrong or if he should just put her under a genjutsu just to shut her up until his team was ready to leave. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"It is."

Sakura's jaw just about dropped off her face. "What did you say?"

"You're right. It is pretty pathetic. Karin. Get out of here."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard what I said. Leave."

"You can't be serious, Sasuke-kun! Don't listen to that bitch! She's just jealous and–"

"So far you haven't showed me any worth while skills that you say you possess. Every now and then you pick up Itachi's chakra signature, but nothing more, and I basically don't need you. My ninja cats can track his signature. So leave. You're useless to me."

The girl's eyes widened as she stared at Sasuke. She turned towards Sakura and glared for a moment before she picked up her bag and made her way towards Sasuke and the exit of the cave. He moved slightly to the side, enough for her to slip through, and not enough to give Sakura room to scramble out, and she stalled in the opening.

"Don't think this is over," She hissed at Sakura, who's hair was starting to drip all the way down to the middle of her back, "I'll get you."

Sakura nodded towards her, a silent agreement and Karin slipped out into the darkness.

"Can I leave now?"

Sasuke looked at her for another moment. "No."

"Can I have her?"

Sakura whipped around to face the voice, that which belonged to Suigetsu, and gave him a straight up glare. He put his hands up in defense and backed up a few steps. Sakura looked back towards Sasuke, "Why can't I leave?"

"Because I said you can't. So sit down."

She gave him an are-you-serious look and put her hands on her hips. "No."

Sasuke shrugged and moved away from the opening and towards the fire. "Don't try to get outside. I'll catch you and you know it."

"If you think so."

Sakura stood idly by the cave entrance, leaning against the wall. Juugo sat down on the floor next to Sasuke, who was in a meditation position and Suigetsu began to strip his wet clothes off next to the hot spring. Sakura adverted her eyes the second Suigetsu began to leer at her. Suigetsu did have a nice chest. Not as nice as Sasuke's, but still nice.

She began to watch the fire. A few minutes of that and it got boring though, and she pulled out a comb and began to comb through her hair, which was no longer dripping. After that, she decided her slutty shirt was better than no shirt, and she managed to get it on without giving Suigetsu a show, which he was obviously waiting for the way he kept glancing at her, smiling with his little sharp pointed teeth...she shivered.

She moved over to her wet clothes and grabbed them off the floor, hauling them into the corner nearest to the entrance that she decided she would claim until Sasuke let her go. Slowly, and with her front facing the wall, she began to preform the signs for a light warmth jutsu that would speed up the drying of her ninja gear.

Quietly, she laid out her only dry thing in her backpack, which was her sleeping back and slipped inside of it, using her arm as a pillow. On the outside, she hoped that when she woke up, they'd be gone. But on the inside, she hoped they'd stay forever.

Actually, she hoped he'd stay forever. Then maybe, she'd get a chance to kick his ass. He deserved it, after all. She smiled lightly at the thought, and drifted off into dream land.


	21. Kick More Ass

_Kick More Ass_

**Disclaimer:** If I owned this, I wouldn't be craving cheese puffs.

* * *

She shifted in her spot, wondering vaguely why she was so warm. And why the thing she was laying on was so hard. Muttering to herself, she pulled the fabric around her closer and curled herself up tighter.

"Get up… Boss-man says we're leaving."

The pink haired girl frowned at the voice. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn't place it. It was male…. So that ruled out Ino-pig and Tsunade-sama. It wasn't Kakashi-sensei, Sai or Naruto… who…?

"Come on pretty lady, I'm thirsty."

Her eyes snapped open as she realized Suigetsu was standing over her. She blinked up at him un-surely.

"Well don't just lay there. C'mon I need to re-fill my water bottle and Sasuke wants you over there." The shark-man pointed in the direction of the deeper alcove.

"Well go on, "He licked his lips, his tongue disappearing behind several sharp pointed teeth. "Unless," he smirked "you'd like to stay here with me."

She sat up and grinned as she moved for her dry clothing. She looked around for a moment watching Suigetsu out of the corner of her eye. He sighed and turned, going out the entrance. She felt his chakra fade as he got farther and farther away.

Maybe she could just…

"Don't even think about it."

She didn't flinch, regardless of her surprise.  
"Think about what?" So, he was accusing her. Psh. He wasn't the only one who could play dumb.

"Running. I'd catch you and fill you before you got thirty feet away."

She scoffed, looking up at him, once again careful of his skilled oculars.

"Oh yeah," she drawled, "You definitely underestimate me."  
She waited a moment, watching for a response. He didn't move. It dawned on her that she had full chakra now.

"You're weak. Just as you've always been," He said with a scowl. "There is nothing to underestimate."

"I wouldn't be killed so easily," she responded sharply, her eyes flashing a bright viridian. He looked taken back momentarily but his stoic expression remained dominant.

"I don't have time for this. You're coming with us. Were leaving any minute so I suggest you grab your bag and come along," She opened her mouth but he beat her to it. "Without argument."

She smirked, "Tripping over all those words yet, Sasuke? For someone who's usually silent, you sure are talkative right now."

"Be quick," he said monotone.

With that, he walked toward the cave entrance and disappeared into the light.


	22. AU

**AU. **

They are still shinobi, but Sasuke's brother never killed his family, and Sakura's more... independent. Daring. And kinda pissy. But keep in mind that Sasuke and Itachi still don't like each other.

* * *

Her heart clenched in her chest.

**What. The. **_**Fuck**_

Her green orbs began to burn. She squeezed them shut for a moment and then re-opened them.

_-Nope, still the same view. _

She wanted to vomit.

No, scratch that. She wanted to choke and _die_ on that vomit.

There he was, in all his _fucking _glory. Uchiha Sasuke.

And who was rubbing herself all over him, splattering him with disgusting sloppy kisses? Who was running her hands up and down his arm, smiling animatedly from her spot on his right in the tightly packed booth?

-No, _really_.

WHO was the red-head with glasses who seemed to be attached to the Uchiha?

She truly didn't know. He looked up as if just noticing that she was there. Their eyes met and hers burned dark deep little holes into his head. He raised an eyebrow and looked down, seemingly connecting the dots as to why she was angry. He almost looked like he was about to get up but she tore her eyes away.

Suddenly, she didn't care at all. She turned on her heel, glaring openly at anything that moved on her way back through the crowded club to the door.

And there were a _lot_ of things moving.

She scoffed as she made it out, nodding at the men by the door, still glaring viciously. Who the fuck did that guy think he was? She didn't give a shit if he was an Uchiha or not, how dare he ask her to come to the club on a _fucking_ date, and then sit there with another girl all over him?

Once again, she thought about vomiting. And choking on it.

The prospect of this was mighty delicious, not the taste of course, but just the underlying fact that she would die if she choked on her own vomit long enough. Nobody would help her of course... there was no one around that she knew. Besides Sasuke anyway, who was otherwise occupied at the moment.

She scrunched her nose up. That would be messy. And awkward. There were plenty of other ways to die, and she debated on going up to the Hokage tower and requesting an S rank.

Sakura was a skilled shinobi. She was trained to be calm and under control. Which was the opposite of what she was right now. She decided against the mission.

This would've been their... thirteenth date? She mused the possibilities of setting his small abode on fire, but decided that was a little too reckless. Innocent people could get hurt, ne? Okay, so she was feeling a bit hostile. There was nothing wrong with that.

She turned the corner, walking down the street and entering a different night club. She was gonna blow off some steam.

He wasn't the only famous one around here. Yes, Haruno Sakura had made something of herself. She was the most talented medic in Konoha, having surpassed the Hokage herself. She was the Hokage's apprentice, she was one of the four members of the famous Team Kakashi, she was part of the Konoha Twelve. She had killed an Akatsuki member! And right now, she was about to add to that by seeming like a total whore.

The first guy that came up to the bar next to her was grabbed by the collar and forcefully kissed. The worst part about it, was that the guy seemed to like it. He was right up in there, hands and tongues and hell, they were still sitting at the bar!

Sakura's eyes opened and she gasped in shock.

"Itachi?"

A smirk was imbedded into his features, "That was an interesting greeting, Haruno."

She let out a short, haughty laugh and smiled at him. "What're you doing here? You hate clubs. You hate noise. You hate dancing. I think you're at the wrong place, Uchiha."

"You are correct, Sakura-san. But there was nothing to do at home. Looks like a more exciting turn out here anyway," He said, his smirk widening, "What'd my brother do this time?"

"That asshole?" Sakura rolled her eyes and downed the shot in front of her. That had been her sixth. "Oh, he's at the other club with a red head on his lap."

"Ahh, Karin," Itachi replied knowingly, taking the empty stool next to her and ordering them both more drinks. "Yes, she keeps hoping that Sasuke will get desperate."

"Well she can have him," Sakura said, unsuccessfully trying to mask the hurt in her voice.

"I see," The elder Uchiha replied in an understanding voice, "Would you like me to escort you home, Sakura-san?"

Sakura looked over at him, "Why? I'm not drunk yet."

Itachi chuckled, low and deep. "You are, you're just not feeling it yet."

"In that case, yes."

They were half way to her home when Sasuke jumped down from a rooftop and landed in front of them.

"What the _fuck_?"

He sounded angry, annoyed, irritated, betrayed...etc.

"I'm escorting Sakura-san home, little brother. Seeing as you're too busy with Karin."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at his brother, "Fuck _you_, Itachi. I think I can take it from here."

"No," Sakura had finally found her mouth, "Itachi was doing a fine job."

"Why are you so pissed, Sakura?" Sasuke growled uncomfortably, "We're not even really together."

"No, Fuck you, Sasuke," He hated the way his name came from her lips. It was as if it was the most disgusting word in her vocabulary, "You want a girl so bad, well there you go. A girl wants _you_. Go get '_em_, Tiger."

She could practically hear his teeth grinding.

"Itachi, get the _fuck_ out of here."

"Didn't mother teach you manners?"

"Go!"

"No."

"Itachi, I swear–"

"It's fine," Sakura told Itachi, "You can go, I can handle the asshole."

Itachi chuckled as he walked off down the street.

"Why are you such a bitch?"

"Leave me alone, Sasuke."

"Sakura. We didn't even do anything. We were waiting for you."

"Oh!" She'd just begun walking past him when she spun around and narrowed her eyes, "Waiting for me? Since when do you wait for your _date _with another girl on your lap?"

"She wasn't on my lap."

"Fuck you, Sasuke! Yes, _she_ was," She moved past him and took off at a fast pace down the street. She made it to her front door before he caught up.

She was trying to open the door when his hand snatched her keys away.

"Give me my keys."

"Sakura, listen to me for a second."

"Give me my keys, Sasuke."

"No. Listen–"

"Give me my _fucking_ keys."

"Sakura."

"No.** Give them **to me and_ leave_."

He handed her the keys, and she fumbled with them, blinking the haziness away as she tried to figure out which was the correct one. He snatched them back and she opened her mouth to yell at him but he stuck the correct key in the lock and twisted, opening the door.

"Now remove yourself," She said calmly.

"Can't do that," He replied.

"Then I'll remove you."

"I'd like to see you try."

Within seconds he was being shoved from the doorway, but just as he suspected, she was clumsy due to the alcohol in her system. He decided not to fight as she gave him one final shove, pushing him off the porch steps. He landed on his feet, rolling his eyes as she grinned in a victorious manner.

"Now go away, jerk."

"Sakura. You're going to forget about this tomorrow morning anyway."

She sighed as she tried to clear her thoughts. Finally, she nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right," He took a step towards her– "But until I do forget- _fuck _**off**."

And she walked into her house and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

HA. That was _very_ amusing to write. Many uses of the word 'fuck'. It made me quite happy actually. I was feeling very used and angry so this made it better.

Ha.

**Enjoyyy**. The next part of Kick Ass will be up soon! Obsidian Petals is being worked on! And I still MUST update Bound, so I don't know what's going up first. Probably OP then Bound then Kick Ass. I really have no idea. And then there's this request that I've been stuck on for a few months now.

Well. I love you all.


	23. Let You Down

Let You Down.

* * *

Her breath caught in her throat.

_(Trust me, there's no need to fear, everyone's here.)_

She couldn't heal this. She _**wouldn't**_.

_Why did this have to happen?_

_(Waiting for you to finally be one of us. Come down, you may be full of fear, but you'll be safe here.)_

His pale face was marred with burns and cuts and his dark hair was matted with blood.Eyes opened and tried to stare her down.

_(When you finally trust me, finally believe in me...)_

She took a deep breath and cradled the green chakra in her palm. Two nurses were on standby as squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then re-opened them, bringing the palm closer and closer to his body.

_(I will let you down, I'll... let you down, I'll... )_

The chakra in her hand turned a darker shade of green when she touched him and he screamed in pain. The nurses tried to pull her back, but she was intimidating and stronger than they were. It was far too late for him by the time suitable help arrived to pull her from the body.

_(Trust me, I'll be there when you need me, you'll be safe here...)_

Her eyes were darker than normal. Her blonde pigtails were in disarray. She was angry. She was _pissed._

But she wasn't the only one.

_(When you finally trust me, finally believe in me...)_

Eyes the shade of viridian were shining with indescribable rage. _How dare they bring him into her place of healing?_

"SAKURA!" Her stiff voice boomed loudly through the corridors. "Why did you kill him?"

The rosette haired kunoichi's eyes narrowed. "How _dare_ you bring that monster into _my_ hospital. This is a place for Konoha citizens, not dirty criminals that you decide to drag from the depths of their scum filled hideouts."

_(I will let you down, I'll... let you down, I'll...)_

Tsunade said nothing. Her fists, which had been clenched, loosened.

And the medic in front of her still held no sympathy.

_(When you finally trust me, finally believe in me.)_

**The body lay un-moving on the table.**

"It's about time someone ripped the life from him. You bring that _bastard_ in here and expect me to heal him? After all the things he's done? All the lives he's ruined or taken?_ Fuck_ no. I don't think so."

_(I will let you down, I'll... let you down, I'll...)_

Tsunade opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

_(Never want to come down...)_

"Think of what he's done to_ you_. To Sasuke. To Zaku. To all the others. He uses people like they are pawns. He is the definition of filth. I want his body off of my operating table immediately."

_(Never want to come down...)_

Two ANBU Black Ops came in to remove Orochimaru's body.

_(Never want to come down...)_

_Nobody breathed._

_(I will let you down.)_

"Don't send anymore S-class criminals in here, Tsunade-shishou."

(I will let you down, I'll...let you down, I'll...)

"Sakura's right, baa-chan," the blonde was standing in the doorway, "You're not Hokage anymore. I know you had good intentions, but you went against orders."

(When you finally trust me, finally believe in me...)

Once again, The Slug Princess opened her mouth to scream, but realized it would do no good. Instead, she looked at the two ex-members of Team 7 with slight pity despite their current status' as Head Medic and Hokage.

(I will let you down, I'll...let you down, I'll...)

With a heavy heart, she left the room.

(When you finally trust me, finally believe in me...)

"Good to know he didn't take over the teme," Naruto glared as the ANBU finally finished setting up the removal bag and wheeled the dead snake sannin out of the room.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed flatly, "Good to know."


	24. Triple Drabble

**The Bench.**

She was sitting on the bench again. He groaned slightly, wishing life could be simpler. Why'd she always have to end up on that god damn bench?

Whenever she went there in the dark, she would be upset by the time she left. That bench held too many memories to leave her delicate mind unscathed.

He approached slowly, his blue eyes shining in the dim moonlight. Maybe he could just...

"Do you think he'll come back?" Her voice was soft, teetering on the edge of emotional. "Do you _really_ think he'll come back to us?"

He swallowed, dropping his head slightly, "I don't know, Sakura-chan."

She said nothing after that.

He sat next to her, his eyes flashing to her face which was void of emotion.

Calmly, he wondered when she would open her eyes to the truth. (Because he didn't have the heart to tell her that the third member of their team was laid to rest deep beneath her feet.)

* * *

**Sorry.**

Black hair, stiff and spiked, "Why can't you let go?"

Yellow hair, sun kissed, blowing easily with the wind, "Because I made _a promise_."

A voice so cold, "Aa."

And one so deep, "But you wouldn't know how to keep one of_ those_, would you, bastard?"

Onyx eyes, narrowing slightly, "Don't push me, Dobe."

Piercing blue eyes, smirking, "Why not?"

Pale skin, marred with a single black mark among the small light scars, "Because we're not little kids anymore."

Tan skin, calloused from being so driven, "No, I guess we're not."

A face, never seen and never forgotten, "Before we fight, what was the promise?"

Cheeks scratched with permanent scars, "I will bring you back to her."

A scoff, echoing loudly in the valley, "Do you still love her? You do."

A sigh, just barely reaching the other's ears, "It doesn't matter."

A smirk on those pale arrogant lips, "She doesn't love you back."

A scowl on his thin ones, "You know nothing."

Eyes turning crimson, "That's where you're wrong."

Scars darkening rapidly, "No, teme, I'm right."

Skin darkening to a charcoal gray, "You'll die if you try it."

Fingernails lengthening visibly, "Then I guess I'm gonna die."

Blue lightening, crackling like a thousand sqwaking birds.

A swirling angry ball, spinning like a tornado.

And the echo of a smash.

And hours later, as they both lay silently in the reddening grass, the dimming blue eyes meet a pair of fading onyx.

Cherry blossoms are falling and both mouths open. Two words are uttered,

"I'm..."

"...Sorry.."

* * *

**Wake Up**.

His sheets were cold again. They seemed to be cold all the time now, ever since the fight. He could hold his liquor pretty well and he was pretty good at composure, but when it came to having a conversation when he was drunk, everything went to hell.

_(I'm not sober all the time, you bring me down, at least you try, until we see this eye to eye, I don't want you.)_

So... through whatever she had been trying to say in her own slight drunken-ness, he had tuned her out. And she, naturally had been slightly angry. And they had argued. Every couple does it.

_(I must be running out of luck, 'cause you're just not drunk enough to fuck...)_

And then of course, the screaming back and forth had started. And Sasuke had never been a screamer. Hell, he barely talked at all. So this was new, and the entire living room filled with people all knew it. But he couldn't stop. He was just so angry, and all that pent up hostility was pouring out around his feet and drowning her, and he just couldn't stop it.

_(And now I've had it up to here and I don't, I don't want you.)_

And even through the haze, he could see her hurt expression, all his words were still stinging and his mouth hurt from even saying them at all. He regretted every word, but he couldn't move his mouth to say another thing. She blinked and tears were streaming down her face, her lips opened slightly and she said told him she was sorry.

_(It took so long to see, you walked away from me, when I need you...)_

And now, here he was again, sitting in the empty bedroom. The sheets were so cold, and he was so sorry now. He looked at the clock absently before he made up his mind.

_(Wake up, I'm pounding on the door, I'm not the man I was before, where the hell are you when I need you...)_

_He lowered his arm for a minute, waiting. Nothing happened and he wanted to die. Still, he stood and raised his arm again. Knuckles hit wood carefully, but hard enough._

_(Wake up, I'm pounding on the door, I won't hurt you anymore, where the hell are you when I need you...)_

And there she was a moment later, opening the door with her confused expression and as he stood there with his eyes connected with hers, he watched her remember every word he'd said.

Silently, she opened the door wider and he knew she could see the change.

* * *

Triple drabble. Idk. I was just sitting and chillin' and I decided to do it. I don't like the last one at all, but you guys should let me know what you think. 


	25. Tripple Drabble Two

_Disclaimer: Did you guys know that canaries aren't only yellow? They can be green and blue and red. That's so odd to me. Yeah. So I obviously own nothing. I'm stupid._

These drabbles are not connected in any way besides the fact that they are Naruto fanfiction. Tragedy, the first drabble, is another version of _Sorry_ from the last triple drabble post I made.

Much love.

* * *

**Tragedy.**

Cerulean eyes filled with pain, "I can't believe you."

Onyx eyes that are empty, "Believe it, Dobe. Isn't that what you always used to say?"

Blonde hair ruffled with the wind, "How could you do this?"

Dark hair, stiff with arrogance, "It was quite easy."

Six whiskers darkening with anger, "I will bring you down, teme."

An arrogant smirk, stretching wider, "Try it."

Loud crackling fills the gentle green meadow. There is a shout of a foreign word. Another sound to mix, the sound of one thousand birds shrieking into the day. And then they ran, orange and white just a blur in a moment of time.

They shoot back, stumbling, flying, panting, both streaked with an angry alizarin.

"You will never hurt her again!" The blonde hair is now ruffled and matted with blood. Nails are growing sharp and the urge to hunch over on all fours is building. Those whiskers are almost black, and the eyes now a brilliant scarlet.

"Who are you to say that I've hurt her?" Onyx hair still stiff. Those dark eyebrows sculpted neatly, one sliced, the vermilion liquid dripping down towards crimson spinning eyes. Pale skin is turning black.

"Don't move," And they freeze in mid fight. Two heads disobey orders as they turn towards the feminine voice.

Cerise hair billows in the wind that they have created in this space. She has eyes of a bright viridian; sparkling with a hardness that no one thought they'd ever develop. Her petite body is standing just off to the side, the look on her pretty face is one of heartbreak.

Both pairs of red eyes turn back to each other and commence their fight, ignoring her words. A ball of lightening and a spinning rasengan try to meet in the middle but her lithe form is suddenly there and both are forced to veer off course.

Angrily, they are shouting past her at each other, and neither is seeing her jade eyes fill with the water that she has thought she had long since been out of.

"Please, stop," She begs them in a voice that she doesn't recognize. It is soft and pleading, cracking like she is about to fall apart. She thinks that it's sort of appropriate for the current situation that her team has gotten themselves into. She know it will end badly.

These are her boys. One is bright and happy, a wide grin always spread over his face. He wears colors that force eyes to close because of their starkness. But he is who he is. The other is dark, angry and always sulking. He is one she hasn't seen in years, for he has been consumed by his desire to avenge those that have been lost and taken from him.

She looks at them both with a sad face, hoping that she will not have to pick _one_ of them. Were it her genin self, she knows that she would've stupidly chosen the dark boy, for her younger years were the times that she had hopelessly fawned over him. He neither wanted or deserved it but she couldn't seem to help herself. In those days, Naruto was nothing, just an annoying boy who happened to have a crush on her. One day, she realized that she had stomped on his heart one too many times. He didn't deserve any of it and she knew exactly how it felt. So here she stands on a battlefield with seconds ticking away. They seem to forget her plea and move, both rushing at each other again and in an instant she is finally forced to choose. But she finds that through all these years, she can't.

She ends it with a single scream, piercing them both to the bone. Her blood is speckling the green meadow along with their faces, and the tears are still flowing down onto the soft bloodied grass as she looks at both of them with sad dying eyes.

"I'm sorry," Her throat constricts and she only utters a few more words, "but I love you, both..."

Each boy is frozen as her now sightless orbs look out upon the fading sky.

* * *

**Darkness.**

The house was dark. She supposed it would still seem that way, even with the lights on. So many people had lost their lives in this place and she could tell their souls still lingered. She shivered as the cold drizzle slid down her neck and down her spine.

Ever since he'd been back, it had been as if the lives of Team 7 had been thrown into a blender and mixed around. She moved through the gloom and up to the door of his old abode. It smelled as if no one inhabited the place for centuries but she knew otherwise. She didn't bother knocking; he wouldn't answer anyway. Instead, she opened the sliding door quickly and stepped inside. Immediately the nausea that had hit her entering the compound increased tenfold.

How could he bear it here? Where his own mother and father were murdered before his own eyes?

She walked down the hall and stopped, coming upon the door to the room in which he dwelled. Slowly, her viridian eyes found his slumped figure in the darkness. He was lying stiffly on his old bed, which was much too small for him.

His pale skin stood out in the moonlight that shined dully through the window. She approached at an average pace, counting her steps until she reached the bed. Finally, she seated herself on the edge of it and sighed.

"Have you eaten today, Sasuke?"

Silence. Which usually meant no.

"I brought some onigiri for you."

"Hn."_ Okay_.

"Do you want them heated?"

Silence._ No._

"Here you are then," She opened the package that had been perched beneath her arm, shielded from the rain. She unwrapped it and urged him to sit up. He did and watched her blankly as she handed him the food.

"How are you, today?"

The rice ball that was in his hands tumbled from them and landed back in the container with a surprised 'splat'.

_She's never asked me that before._

Her eyes widened.

In the dim moonlight, she watched as the tears slid down his face and landed in his lap.

**So, he's finally broken.**

* * *

**Untitled.**

The sun is setting, turning the sky a million different shades of color.

_Don't you ever want to be careless?_

There are dark obsidian eyes glistening in the darkness at her. She opens her mouth to speak but thinks better of it. The man before her is not the same boy she used to spend her days with. This man is different, he is stronger and colder.

_Don't you want to just run free?_

She wonders if he's empty now, besides the anger that resides within him. They both move forward, she is holding back just a little to see what skills this new man has developed in their years apart.

_Don't you ever want to let it all go?_

She fears he will only ever live for his single goal, to kill the brother that he once loved. She cannot understand how he has managed to forget the precious things that he once had.

_Can't you open your eyes and see?_

When he comes at her, she takes notice that he doesn't have his sharingan activated and apparently does not view her as a serious potential threat. Through all of her years as a shinobi, she has taught herself how not to be offended. She isn't. She just smirks, taking it a step further.

_Don't you know what we've become?_

He eyes her with a bored expression as she charges him. His toned body is tensed to block. Her fist is inches from his face when she disappears, using substitution to reappear above his head. Her chakra enhanced fist almost hits his face dead on but he moves, taking the highly damaging blow to his shoulder instead.

_Now, don't tell me you're not prepared for me._

She notes with satisfaction that his kekkai genkai is now activated and that she has already damaged his body. He grits his teeth through the pain and forms the hand signs for chidori nagashi.

_You don't need to lie to_ me_, darling._

She dives at him, and his not fully charged chidori hits her arm. She hisses in pain but doesn't heal it just yet. She is determined to make him see her. Finally, they've beaten each other bloody and she is half on top of him, her good arm hovering menacingly over his throat. Sasuke's onyx eyes stare up at her, there is no expression in them.

_Oh, don't tell me you haven't dreamed of me._

She brings her hand down with a sigh and begins to heal his wounds. Still, he only stars up at her questioningly. After they are both healed to her satisfaction, she finally meets his obsidian gaze.

_This can never be over, love._

They stare at each other, neither bothering to notice their odd position in the grass of the bloodstained valley. Neither moves to speak either, but she knows he can hear the erratic beating of her heart against her chest. She watches his face, waiting for any reaction. It doesn't really disturb her when one never comes. He notes that along with his own, her face is carefully blank.

_I never told you what I really wanted you to know._

She finally moves to get up and leave this place, _leave him_, but his hands are there in an instant, holding her still. They both know that she could over-power his strength with her chakra easily, but she never moves.

_Don't tell me you've never wanted me like this._

Their worlds just may explode soon as the land mines that have been placed all around them activate. They both know, but they don't care. She is just happy to see him before she meets her end. Their faces finally reach each other just as the sky hits twilight and just as the mines hit zero.

**BOOM. **

_I was willing to give up everything for you._

The valley is encased in a raging fire and they both stand far off, watching the flames. She takes his hand in her own and is slightly surprised when he doesn't it pull it away. He looks down at her and smirks, silently impressed with her skills. He hadn't known his clone was battling a clone of her until the very end. He snaps back to reality, noticing her laughter. It's a pretty sound that he thinks he could deal with forever. She says nothing to him though, just unties her forehead protector and hurls it neatly into the flames.

_They told us it'd be better this way._

As the fire dies down, she is looking at him with eyes of the most gorgeous color. He takes her face in his hands and pulls it up to his own. Minutes later they are walking into the trees and he finds comfort in the fact that he won't be truly alone ever again.

_I would walk one thousand miles before I let you fall._

* * *

The first and last ones are definitely my favorites. I don't really care for the middle drabble. 

Anyway.

_Review_ my precious readers! Mr. RB is HUNGRYYY.


	26. Damaged

**Damaged.**

* * *

To anyone who watched, it seemed as if the boy didn't move. Didn't breathe. Didn't blink.

He was covered in dirt and blood, but no one dared get close enough to clean him up. He had gone up against Uchiha Itachi, they'd heard. He'd gone up against Uchiha Itachi and he'd killed him.

"New patient?" Tsunade cringed. Her student would be pretty pissed when she found out that her ex-teammate/heartthrob was sitting in room 134A with ANBU at the door.

"Yeah," She replied, handing her apprentice the file, "Don't get mad at me, Sakura. You were on a mission."

"Why would I be mad?" Sakura asked, opening the file, "What's there to be mad abou-" The medic's viridian eyes widened in shock as her eyes fell on the patient's name.

"He needs to be constantly washed, he was in pretty bad condition when they brought him and the three others in. And no one will sponge him down. Mitoko threatened to quit. They're all afraid he'll wake up and become violent."

"Wake up?" Sakura asked, her eyes scanning her mentor's.

Tsunade hesitated. "My theory's in the file."

Sakura eagerly made her way to room 134A. She bit her lip, and cautiously smiled at the ANBU stationed at the door and slipped inside.

He was sitting up, at least. She took him in, keeping her face expressionless. His eyes were trained lifelessly on the wall. His dark hair was matted with blood and dirt, and his body, (or what she could see of it) was streaked with dirt. There were some clean spots on his arms where the needles had gone in. His hair was stringy and greasy, filled with dried blood and dirt. She was going to murder some nurses if they hadn't been changing his bandages all due to fear. It was disgusting that Tsunade had even allowed him to sit in his own filth for this long. From what the file had said he'd been here... three days.

She looked down at the aforementioned file and scanned it for Tsunade's theory. Blood type: AB, Birth date: July, 23rd. State of Mind: Brain damaged.

"Wait... Brain DAMAGED?" She was shocked into silence. Underneath was a note in Tsunade's hand writing about it.

_Body responds to touch and medicine but there has been no mental change. He can stand, walk and sit if helped. Appears brain damaged from the tsukuyomi_. _A person can barely stand it once, Uchiha Sasuke has gone through it a minimum of four times. The patient recieved two blows to the head during his fight with Uchiha Itachi, who did end up dying. It also seems that oxygen was not allowed to his brain for a period of time. It is my theory that this patient is brain damaged and may never wake up from his personal hell._

Ripping her eyes away from the file, she focused on him. She wrinkled her nose at the state of the sheets. They were a light brown color from the dirt and mud. Angrily, she took his vitals and removed his IV drip before pulling the discolored sheet back and pulling the boy gently out of his bed.

She wouldn't make him sit in his filth any longer. The boy _smelled_! Helping him to the bathroom was pretty easy with her chakra enhanced strength. She undressed him quietly and helped him into the walk in shower, sitting him down in the handicap side seat, where she un-bandaged his wounds and healed them a bit more.

When she came back six and ½ minutes later, he was still in the same position. In those six minutes, she had changed the sheets on his bed and ran to her office, collecting her extra clothes and her shampoo and conditioner.

A thought popped into her head and she shoved her pink hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head. She had her sleep shorts and a tank top on now, and she slipped into the shower with him and turned on the nozzle, mostly avoiding the jet of water. After it was at a suitable temperature, she stood him up and stuck him under the spray, washing the dirt from his body.

She rubbed gentle circles with a light green sponge over the spots of caked blood and cuts, clearing it all away and washing it down the drain. Next, she added soap to the sponge and washed his back with it, along with his legs and arms.

Next, she tilted his head back and wet down his raven locks, un-settling the dried blood and dirt. After most of it went down the drain, she found several un-healed cuts on his scalp. After healing those, she lathered his locks in her shampoo. (She hated the hospital's, it was so cheap!) Once that was done, she washed it out and poured a handful of pink colored cherry smelling conditioner into her hand and rubbed it into his hair. It was washed out soon after and after giving him a once over to make sure she'd cleaned him all up, she turned off the water.

She got out, drying her arms, hands, legs and feet. When she looked up, it was hard not to notice his body. He was very lean and his abs were hard and toned. She swallowed and snapped angrily at herself inside her head before grabbing a towel and drying him off. She wrapped the towel around his waist and then lead him over to the side bench, where she sat him down. His eyes still stared blankly ahead.

Sighing, she grabbed a pair of hospital issued sweats out of her bag and placed them beside him on the bench. Next came a black T-shirt and then a pair of boxers. She cringed. This was not what she had in mind for the next time she saw Sasuke. She looked at his body one more time, checking over his wounds. She healed his cuts and bruises and then focused on some of the major burns. When she had finished, he was physically perfect. Mentally killing herself, she dressed him and then turned away to re-dress herself.

When she turned back she left everything in his bathroom and guided him back over to the clean bed where she sat him on the edge of it. She laid him down and was about to put the IV back in his arm when her wrist was yanked away from him and she was thrown up against the wall with incredible force.

**OUCH.**

She blinked, an angry look marring her features as she opened her eyes to see the person who had done such a rash thing in the middle of a procedure.

She almost vomited on the floor. Apparently, Sasuke's mental health was just fine. He just needed a little wake up call. He was holding her up against the wall, breathing harshly into her face, his eyes spinning red with the sharingan.

"What the fuck."

She stared at his mouth where the words had come out.

He slammed her into the wall again, harder. "Where the fuck am I?"

"Sasuke, it's okay," She told him slowly, "You're alright."

"You're not answering me," He retorted.

"You're in the hospital," She told him matter-of-factly. "Now please let me go so I can finish my job."

He blinked at her a few times before recognizing her. "Sakura..." he said slowly, letting her go, but still watching her un-surely. "Do you know if...?"

"Yes, _you_ killed him."

He stared at her for a moment before leaning in and whispering two key words into her ear.

"_Thank you._"


	27. Arguement

Arguement

* * *

Disc: Yeah freaking right.

* * *

He is seeing her, but it just isn't clicking in his brain. The way her cerise hair swings around her. The way her jade eyes glitter. She doesn't see him. Her feet are bare, twisting nimbly around each other on the hard oak bar.

She is dancing, and not the lady like kind of dance. She is dancing in a way so provocative that he cannot bear to watch her much longer. Not because she isn't good at it, no, she's very good at it. He suspects that due to her kunoichi status that she's probably even taken classes for this sort of thing. He can't bear to watch her much longer because his façade is threatening to fall and he might just show his jealous side to everyone watching and rip her right off that bar.

Which would be _very_ bad.

He is seeing her twist and turn, he is seeing her skirt slide higher and higher on her hips, yeah, he's seeing her. And his chest is burning with anger because all of the others are seeing her too. She promised to do anything for him, she gave him her heart to keep and she can't just... take it back! He is seeing her, and he is clenching his fists because he's the only man who's supposed to see that much of her skin at once, and he is angry.

Which is also very bad.

His perfect white teeth are grinding in his mouth as he thinks about turning away from the scene she's putting on and walking off away from it all. They're all cheering and clapping and laughing and Ino's just watching with that peculiar smile and he hates them all, he hates them for looking at her, he hates them for encouraging her and he hates Ino for just standing by and not stopping her.

The worst part is he _can't _leave.

Cause if he leaves someone will probably snatch her away. And deep inside, he doesn't want anyone to snatch her away. That would be horrible. The next worst part is that they're not even together anymore. They haven't been for a good two weeks ever since they'd argued about the ANBU exams. She wasn't taking them. She just wasn't. She would get hurt. And he refused to think of it.

Except he didn't exactly tell her that way. It was more like, _"You're weak and you would never pass those exams. Don't bother."_

Oh. _Ouch_.

That did sound a little..._harsh_, now that he was thinking about it.

His eye twitched as her top slipped a little more and the right side of her lacy black bra was exposed to the room. And when a few people started to whistle, he lost it. He moved through the crowed to the front of the bar and looked up at her with blazing sharingan eyes. She hadn't noticed him. But Ino had. Her blue eyes were wide and worried now, and she moved into action, joining Sakura on top of the bar. Sakura smiled at her until Ino mouthed a few words to her. The one that stopped her cold in the middle of her dance was easily read.

'_Sasuke_'.

She turned towards her audience and spotted him immediately. Her eyes narrowed and she crouched down, jumping from the bar.

"Aw, c'mon, baby," a man with burnt orange hair said to her right, and reached over, pinching her butt. Sasuke's chakra flared dangerously and she turned to him, an annoyed look on her face.

"What are you doing here?"

"What are_ you_ doing here, Sakura?"

"I'm a grown woman and I have the right to enjoy myself once in awhile."

"As do I," He hissed.

She scoffed, "You? You don't even know _how_."

He decided to let that one slide. Or maybe not.

"What did you think you were accomplishing by dancing like a whore up there?" He growled and immediately regretted it when the hurt look crossed over her face. He was almost too angry to care. Key word? _Almost_.

"Fuck you, Sasuke."

He stared at her back for a moment as she started to walk away from him until he gathered his wits and snatched her arm up. "I need to speak with you."

"No."

"Sakura, I'm_ not_ asking you."

"Ooh, what are you? My dad? Go to _hell. _You don't have _any_ right to tell me what to do. Which you've seen. Actually, since that day, you have _no_ say in what I do at all. In fact, I'm_ older_ than you."

He glowered at her. "And I'm stronger than you. Which means I could _drag your ass out _of this place. But I don't want to have to do that."

"You wouldn't dare," she hissed.

"Hn." _Wanna bet?_

She ripped her arm viciously from his grip and turned back towards the bar. He grabbed a hold of her again and spun her around. "I told you once, I need to speak with you."

"I don't want to talk to you," She told him in an equally angry voice, "So _fuck _off."

He stared at her, his face suddenly blank. She had quieted down as well, her arm limply hanging in his grasp.

"Please..." He said quietly.

Ino watched from her perch on the bar where another girl had taken up residence in Sakura's spot. She wasn't as good, but she was still entertaining. She could see Sasuke and Sakura arguing in the middle of the crowd, Sakura kept trying to leave but he kept turning her around. Finally, after a few more minutes, she watched them leave the bar.

_Typical._

"What do you need, Sasuke?" Sakura asked tiredly, once they'd gotten outside, "I'm not arguing with you anymore so if it's about the exams–"

"It isn't," He replied, his face a little paler than normal. "It's about us."

"Us?" She repeated carefully, unsure. "What are you talking about? We broke up. There is no 'us' anymore..."

"Is that how you want it to be?" He asked, "Do you want it to be over for good, now?"

She stared at him, her eyes wide. He was... asking her if... but he... Sasuke would never...too proud to... and she was... ahh.

"No... of course I don't."

"So come home with me, Sakura."

"I..."

"..."

"I don't know, Sasuke," She told him honestly.

"I know that I said... you were weak... but it just... you were gone so quickly that I didn't get to elaborate. You were so casual about the whole thing which pissed me off. It's a hard exam, Sakura."

"I know that," She replied angrily, "I know it is."

"I...just don't want you to get hurt. I won't be there to protect you and neither will Naruto."

She was silent for a long time.

"I know that," She said, looking into his onyx eyes, "I know. I'm sorry. It hurt to hear it though and I..."

"I'm...sorry."

She gasped quietly. Uchiha Sasuke rarely said sorry unless it was to a higher power like the Hokage or Kakashi. He flat out refused. And here he was... apologizing to her?

She answered but hugging him tightly, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I love you, you know," She told him.

"I know."

Which in Sasuke-language, meant I love you too.

(and all this because of an arguement.)


	28. Time 2

**NaruSakuSasu**

_Disclaimer: _ME NO OWN NARUTO! When that happens, it'll be the start of the apocalypse. Everyone keep an eye out for red stained skies and flying pigs! (I hope.)

* * *

_And if the sun comes up tomorrow..._

Naruto is lying in the grass, smiling up at the two of them and that goofy grin is still pasted to his face as he bleeds out into the grass. Sakura is crying, her hands glowing green on his stomach trying to close the horrendous wound so that the blonde won't bleed out in front of them. Naruto's laughing as his eyes glaze over and Sasuke wishes he wasn't in such a life threatening situation because he'd love to whack the idiot upside his fat head.

"Shut up, retard, you're tearing the wound open more," Sasuke tells him.

Naruto's laughter dies down to a light chuckle and Sasuke notices the beads of sweat forming on Sakura's forehead. She's mumbling something about how it isn't right, how it isn't supposed to be that way. Inwardly, Sasuke is losing his cool. If Naruto dies, he knows that nothing will be the same and he won't be able to stop himself from withdrawing back inside of his head where it is only filled with hate and pain. He doesn't want to go back there.

Sakura's sobbing now and there's no way she can see to heal the wound with those tears in her eyes.

"NARUTO!" She's screaming at him and the boy is just looking up at her with a sad face.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan," he tells her with a slight smile, "It's okay."

"No it isn't, you dick! This is _far_ from okay!" Naruto's eyes widen slightly at her words. "You can't die! You can't leave us like this!"

Sasuke can only nod and agree with her.

"I don't have enough chakra," She sobs miserably, her hands are shaking.

"Take some of mine," Sasuke says, and she nods, composing herself.

When Naruto's wound is closed and they are all slumped over in exhaustion in the middle of a bloody battlefield, Naruto says he's sorry for scaring them. Sasuke uses the last of his strength to lob the blonde in the head and Sakura thanks the raven haired man for doing it.

* * *

_Lying safe in bed, it was all a bad dream spinning in your head..._

Naruto is awoken by the thrashing on the opposite side of the bed. Sakura is already awake, desperately trying to wake the third member of their trio. He's groaning and his seal is spreading over his neck and shoulders and down his chest. Naruto doesn't have to guess that it's all over his body, it's quite obvious as the marks continue down underneath the sheets.

"Sasuke!"

He still isn't responding and Sakura's shouting and now Naruto has to get up and go to the other side of the bed so he can shake some sense into the other male. But even as Naruto's hands touch Sasuke's skin, he yanks them back. Sasuke's burning up.

"BASTARD! Wake UP!"

He's gone in a flash and Sakura's still yelling and Sasuke's still groaning in pain and somewhere in between Naruto has pulled Sasuke out of the bed and down the hall, Sakura trailing after them with a worried look on her face. The blonde gets Sasuke's naked body into the bathtub and turns the shower head on. Cold water spews out and Sasuke sits up so fast that his head smashes into Naruto's.

They're both moaning in pain now and Sakura's at the point where she wants to scream. She leans down and turns the shower off, her hand glowing a nice green with healing chakra. She heals the bumps on their heads and notices that Sasuke's shivering now.

She grabs a towel and heaves the disoriented boy up out of the tub, wrapping him up and drying him off. Naruto is scowling as he trails behind them now, back to their room. They get Sasuke back into bed, pulling the comforters around the three of them. Sakura's heart is beating alarmingly fast and Naruto puts his arm around her. She's got Sasuke's head in her own arms, and she's stroking his hair. The dark haired boy is scowling because they're touching him more than necessary and he hates it, but he doesn't say anything because he knows how much trouble he's just caused his two lovers and he'll deal with the personal space invasion for the moment. He knows they're just worried about him. Besides, it's better than being back in that nightmare.

They lie there, the three of them, and each one is still shaking. They will never get used to the nightmares that the curse seal causes. They can never stop shaking on those nights. It terrifies them each and everytime.

But as long as he's okay in the end, they'll be there to hold each other when it's over.

* * *

_It's all in how you mix the two and it starts just where it ends..._

Sakura doesn't know what to think when they're fighting again in front of her. She obviously can't keep them from doing it, they don't really listen to her, anyway. Her tears and pleads never seem to have that everlasting affect she wants and she's ready to give up. Except they're both on the ground now, yellow and blue, all in a blur and then they're kissing (well, fight-kissing) and Sakura thinks her nose might bleed, but it doesn't because then Sasuke's snarling in Naruto's face again and Naruto is shaking with rage and all she can do is stand by and feel helpless as they begin to fight again.

She's getting more and more disappointed with herself and it's at that moment when she the thought enters her mind that they don't equal each other. After all, blue and yellow makes green, yellow and pink makes orange and pink and blue makes purple.

Her eyes narrow at this, and she doesn't even realize that the boys have stopped fighting and are staring at her with concern. She doesn't seem to comprehend that they are saying her name, and her eyes water because she's starting to doubt that their relationship will work and her hands are shaking and Naruto's touching her arm and she freezes.

Sasuke watches this, and he can see the sudden doubt and loss in her eyes, and he's confused again, but he's always confused because he's Sasuke. Naruto's trying to comfort her, but it's not working because she's not even trying to hug him back. Sasuke can see the slight hurt in Naruto's eyes, so before he can stop himself he says,

"Sakura...tell me."

She opens her mouth slowly as the question finally hits her and she replies, "Blue and yellow doesn't make pink. It makes green."

When she starts to cry, Sasuke's at a loss of words and Naruto looks completely lost. It takes another few minutes of severe thinking for it to finally click and he looks taken back for a moment and Naruto begins to shake his head with sadness.

"Sakura," Sasuke says quietly, "Yeah, blue and yellow together make green..."

Naruto's face lights up as he too gets it and he says, "And green's the color of your eyes, Sakura-chan!"

The green-eyed girl looks up at the two of them, her heart pounding.

They are her make-up, they are what keep her alive.

* * *

Muahaha. You love it, I love it, We all love it. Woot.

1st song lyric line- Let Her Cry by Hootie &The Blowfish.

2nd song lyric line- Silent Lucidity by Queensryche.

3rd song lyric line- Blue And Yellow by The Used.


	29. Death

_Death.

* * *

Disc: Ha. Ha. Yeah. Okay. And I'm a 22 year old blonde supermodel named Candy._

* * *

She awoke in the cold, buzzing darkness. Cold, it almost seemed… refrigerated, buzzing, the sound like florescent lights, and dark, pitch black…so black, she thought she'd gone blind. Oh, and there seemed to be some sort of cloth over her face.

Excellently, she remembered what had happened before she'd ended up here. A fight between her and Uchiha Itachi. Of course, Sasuke hadn't been there (when had he _ever_?) and Naruto and Sai had been distracted with Kisame. Personally, she thought she'd been doing pretty well against someone who could take on the Godaime without changing his expression. A few cuts here and there, a broken wrist (that she'd already healed once, damn it!) and a deep gash above her right eye. Then there was the singed calf, second degree burn on her forearm and the confident smile that was stuck on her face.

She wasn't the only one with wounds, you know. Itachi had four broken ribs (well, she thought it was four, maybe five), a crushed left hand, ripped tendons in his right leg and a pretty cut on his cheek.

They had been fighting for awhile, a few hours and they'd sent one of Sai's birds to get help, but if Sai didn't make it through the fight, the bird wouldn't either. Therefore, it was safer not to rely on back-up coming because you never knew if they'd end up there in time, if at all.

Nightfall was setting in on them when she landed another forceful blow to Itachi's left side, and he disappeared for a few moments. Her next move, she decided was to not decide anything. That damn sharingan could see every move she was going to make, and it was better not to think when you were fighting with someone like that.

Also, she'd been avoiding his eyes the whole time.

Ugh. Difficult business fighting the brother of the boy she loved. Yes. Loved, as in… past tense. Who could continue to love someone who had left you on a stone cold bench and then never come back to say they were at least _sorry_? Well, Sakura had managed for awhile, but it got to be hard work…too hard, for her heart in the end.

But that's all really beside the point. Anyway, she was working on not thinking when suddenly, the world blacked out around her. She remembered thinking about what had gone wrong, and in her mind, nothing had. So why had she blacked out?

She scrunched her nose up, reaching her arm around and pulling the sheet off of her face. Now, what was going on again? She took a deep breath. Why did there seem to be no _freaking_ air? Did they _want_ her to suffocate? She blinked again, still seeing only black.

Slowly, she reached her arms up. About a foot (if that!) above her head, her hand met more metal. Her eyes widened in the darkness. Her foot, she moved gracefully to the side, where it also met more cold metal. _Freezing cold metal_. Un-characteristically, she began to panic because damn it, she was in a box!

But then, thankfully, she remembered that she had chakra. Pushing some into her leg, in one quick and fluid (well, as quick and as fluid as it could possibly get when you're trapped in a cold metal box) she kicked the side closest to her feet out. It landed with a clank on the floor and then slid away farther, crashing into something out in the room (wherever she was) and stopped.

Carefully (and kind of painfully, what the hell!) she slid out of the box and landed gently on the floor, despite the sudden throbbing in several parts of her body. The room was pretty dark and the floor was just as cold. There was light coming in from a window on the door, but it wasn't much. It was about that time that she realized she was naked, save a sheet that had landed by her feet on the floor. She picked it up, wrapping it around her body.

And then she moved for the light.

She opened the door tentatively, feeling chakra signatures all around her. She then noticed that her hands were slightly blue, and her skin was a weird color. She didn't like it. It was freaking her out. On a pull out table next to the door was a bunch of papers. She walked over to them, peering down. Okay, so she knew the date. And it'd been a day since Itachi. Her heart dropped when she saw the sign over the door.

'**Konoha** **Morgue**'.

She almost threw up. She'd been in the morgue? _On a cold metal slab in a refrigerated box with a sheet over her face_? Something was terribly wrong here. She blinked back the tears forming in her green irises. She had just woken up in the morgue. _Morgueeeee_.

A chill went down her spine and she ran for the elevator, effectively stopping when the pain in her leg was so intense she had to stop. She paused, looking around and then un-wrapped the sheet. Her leg looked… terrible. Of course, if they'd thought she was dead, they wouldn't have healed her! She healed it quickly and moved for the staff elevator again.

Once in, she pressed the floor that her office was on. On the way up, her mind wandered aimlessly through the possibilities of this dreadful mistake. Her teacher probably would've checked her body to make absolutely sure that she was really dead, before sending her to the morgue. So what had gone wrong? She wasn't dead! And yet, here she was, blue-ish, clawing her way out of a box.

The doors opened up and she was greeted with a mass of people running back and forth, all which would recognize her, and all which probably knew that she had just been labeled as recently deceased.

So she looked down at her wounded, blue, 'dead' body one more time before she stepped out into the open and waited for the screams.

_Which came, mind you._

"SAKURA-SAN!" Nurses surrounded her, several screaming things at others, but all afraid to touch her. Shizune came, running down the hall, yelling.

"What is this I hear about Sakura-chan? Don't talk about her that way! She was--" Shizune's eyes widened considerably before her mouth formed a large 'O' and she let out a sob/scream. "SOMEONE ALERT THE GODAIME! IMMEDIATELY, DO YOU HEAR? AND SOMEONE CALL HATAKE KAKASHI!"

Shizune was the first to touch her, recoiling momentarily at the coldness of Sakura's skin.

"What have they done to you?" Shizune whispered in a pained voice, leading Sakura to a stretcher, where she laid down, finally noting the affects of her torn body. She looked up at Shizune, who's eyes were filled with tears at Sakura's appearance. "We thought you were dead, Sakura-san... I mean… I saw you myself yesterday and…"

But Sakura had closed her eyes, and all the feelings stopped again.

This time when she awoke, she was in a white room, well lit, that smelled like disinfectant (something she was used to) and it was warm. There was no buzzing and her windows were open. She saw flowers on the bedside table, pink, cherry blossoms.

Over a little to the right was a dark blue plastic chair that a boy had taken residence in. Naruto was slumped in the chair, his eyes closed. He normally snored but there wasn't any of that. He had dark circles around his eyes and he was pale. He looked more like death than she did. And she _had_ been 'dead'.

"Naruto," She croaked, her voice was oddly cracked and dry. "What's happening?"

The boy's eyes snapped open with such force that Sakura was afraid he'd hurt himself. He stared at her blatantly for a moment before opening his mouth and closing it again. Her green glass bottle eyes connected with his cerulean ones and he lunged across the room and squeezed her into a gigantic hug. His sobs filled the room and his tears soaked her hospital gown.

"It's okay," She whispered sincerely as his body shook. "It's okay, I'm here, promise."

He lifted his head up gingerly, and she watched as he took in her face. He seemed shocked, but relieved.

"They told me you were dead, Sakura-chan," He told her quietly, "They told me that you…"

"I know, shhh, its okay," She repeated again, "I'm here. Feel." She took his hand and placed it on her heart, where the organ was beating out a steady rhythm. Naruto burst out in loud sobs again.

Later that evening, Kakashi came to visit. He sprawled himself out in the chair and stared at her. She waited for a moment to see if his little orange book would appear…it didn't. Slowly, his voice came through to her.

"I'm glad you're okay, Sakura."

His voice was slightly shaky. What she said next was sure to make him cry, but she just had to say it, "I need a hug, Kakashi-sensei."

Sure enough, a tear leaked out of his visible eye and he stood, coming over to her bedside and wrapping her up in a hug. He squeezed lightly and she could see his smile through his mask. "Sasuke should be home from his mission tonight," He told her gently, "We're going to tell him what happened…but not who your opponent was, alright?"

Sakura nodded. It was probably for the best.

The day broke with wonderful hues of orange and red, but Sakura was still unbelievably stressed. She didn't like keeping secrets from Sasuke, but it was the only way to ensure that the boy wouldn't over react and go psycho. She really didn't want to have to bash him over the head with a bat to smoosh in his common sense.

She tossed and turned tiredly in her hospital bed wide awake, waiting.

When he finally came in, she didn't know what to do. They sat there in silence for a long time, just kind of being with each other's presence. Sakura was ready to scream when the usually non-talkative Uchiha opened his mouth.

"How are you?" It didn't even sound like a question.  
"I'm…alive," She answered honestly.

"…" They sat in more silence.

"Sasuke," She began with a trembling voice, "I--"

"I'm glad you're here."

Her eyes widened as she stared at him in shock.

So that's what it took. It took death to melt a heart of ice. It took death to wake him up from his oblivion. It took death for him to actually appreciate her.

'Huh,' She thought sourly, 'Maybe I should die more often."


	30. Still Kicking Ass

**Still Kicking Ass**

_Disc: Sakura would've never been that weak frail child, Naruto would've never been put down, Sasuke wouldn't have lost his entire family and turned into a lunatic, and the three of them would be in a boy-girl-boy relationship. PAH._

_A/N: This IS a SasuSaku. It's just some background, showing you that Sakura isn't an innocent little naïve girl. _

* * *

_I cried out to no reply…_

She groaned.

She'd been forced to navigate through Fire Country with Team Hebi for the last two weeks. And truthfully, it was tiring. She hadn't told Sasuke that she could feel Karin's chakra signature trailing them, and she hadn't made a peep about the idle team of jounin near by (but she was getting ready to send them a bird.)

Sasuke had been ignoring the three of them, and had only told Suigetsu to keep an eye on her. He had gladly complied, eyeing her much too much to be just surveying. He was definitely checking her out. Which, she inwardly smirked, could give her an advantage.

He wasn't all that bad looking, not really, and she had been sent on missions to seduce many less attractive men. He was actually pretty nice to look at. Except for the teeth.

Her mind carried her away into one of her many data gathering missions that had involved sex, this one had been branded into her brain. It had been during the war with the remains of Rice Country, the man was just a messenger really, not the real threat. And he had been beautiful, an almost splitting image of Sasuke. Plus, he'd been a ninja. Once it was over and she'd gotten the information she needed, she'd stayed much longer, talking with him.

In the end, it was weeks before she left, trusting the man with her own secrets and pointing out the faults in his. Firstly, if he was supposed to be keeping quiet about his dealings with the real threat, the big boss, he shouldn't be spilling his guts (willingly!) to prostitutes. Which just after, she'd made a point of telling him she wasn't a prostitute and that she was a 'rouge' and then knocking him unconscious, much like Sasuke had done to her, years previous.

But he'd awoken much earlier than expected and they'd engaged in a heated battle which ended with them both in bed. The oddest thing was that she'd trusted him, this man that she'd never met before this time, this messenger, this…stranger. And she could feel in her bones that he'd trusted her too.

She was sure now, that she could make Suigetsu trust her, if only for a moment. Her eyes flashed to him, and she rolled them when she realized he'd been staring at her backside for the entire walk. The sun had set hours before and Sasuke was much ahead of them.

She focused on the back of his head, the curve of his neck and the way his hair slightly rustled with the light wind. The moonlight caught his face as he stopped and tilted his head slightly towards the three. His firm jaw line and thin lips peeked out at her and she had to force herself to keep breathing. His obsidian eyes sparkled with arrogance.

He waited for them to catch up before he moved swiftly over to a random (well it seemed like it!) tree and formed hand signs. Sakura recognized them as he went,

Rat, Ram, Dog, Snake. Tiger, Rooster, Monkey, Snake. Tiger, Tiger, Ram, Rat.

He had moved excruciatingly fast, but she was positive that she had seen it right. He then put his right palm to the surface of the tree, and it revealed a rock barricade in the stone cliff ahead of them.

He walked forward and they followed as he moved it aside and led them inside.

"Oi. We can't see, Uchiha."

There was a light scoff and then the words, "Fire: Fireball jutsu!"

The cavern lit up and Sasuke shook his head. There was a large fire pit in the middle, now ablaze and an old oak tea table with slightly dusty cushions over to the left. On the right there was two openings. Juugo went into one and Sasuke into the other. He turned back to look at her with a look that said, 'Don't even try it'.

Sakura dropped her bag on the floor and moved over to the tea table, shaking out one of the cushions. Suigetsu started to cough, his face drawn up into a frown.

"You're drying out the air!"

She raised an eyebrow at him and laid the cushion back down, perching herself on it.

"Sorry," She told him, unapologetically.

He frowned again and moved over to the tea table as well. He set his water bottles on it before gulping one down with loud, exaggerated swallows. Sakura rolled her eyes. Once he'd finished off the bottle, he set it down on the dusty oak and wiped his mouth. His eyes flickered up and caught her own and he grinned, little sharp pointed teeth sitting on his bottom lip.

She shuddered, again.

Juugo returned from one of the inner caverns carrying fresh fruit and vegetables (she raised a confused eyebrow but the shark-boy just waggled his own.) and dumped the basket on the table. She frowned, picking it up again and standing, going over to a barrel she'd spied earlier and extracting a rag from it. She wiped the table down and set the food on it gently, trying not to bruise it.

She wanted a banana _really _badly, but the way Suigetsu kept staring at her, she couldn't bring herself to take one. He'd probably leer at her the entire time she ate it, and then think of it as an invite.

Stupid perverted men.

Instead, she selected a fairly good looking orange and began to peel it, tossing the peels into the blazing fire pit. She smiled lightly when the space began to smell faintly like citrus. When she'd finished peeling her orange, she pulled it gently apart and popped one piece into her hungry mouth, chewing with relief.

Sasuke came back just then and poked at the fire for a moment. He quirked his head slightly, and she knew he was smelling the citrus. His eyes narrowed slightly on her orange and then he turned his head back towards the cave opening.

The stars were protruding from the sky, bright white against the coal sky. A bit farther out, the moon shone enthusiastically, lighting up the little valley they'd walked through earlier.

The Uchiha then walked over to the table, where he extracted a ripe looking tomato, brushing her hand carelessly. About sixty feet away, she felt Karin's chakra spike unexpectedly, and started to cough from the sudden shock. When she was positive she'd hacked up a lung, she looked up to find the remainder of Team Hebi's eyes on her. Sasuke's were staring at her accusingly and she almost felt like he was glaring right into her soul. She blinked a few times and Sasuke began moving again, biting into his tomato like it was an apple.

Two hours later, Sakura had laid out her sleeping bag and was sitting on it in a meditating position. She felt rustling by her side and opened one vivid jade eye to find that Sasuke was sitting on his own sleeping bag just three feet from her. Her jaw dropped open.

Through out the two weeks she'd been forced to travel with them, he'd kept his distance from her, usually sleeping in a different cavern entirely, leaving it up to Suigetsu to watch her. And she could swear to Kami and back that the man did, even with his freaking eyes closed. At night she could feel eyes on her.

She came back from her thoughts to find him gazing at her in an un-caring fashion.

From the other side of the room, Suigetsu put his hand up to the corner of his mouth and told her, "You've got a little somethin'."

She glared at him, closing her mouth.

* * *

Later that night, Team Hebi was fast asleep. Sakura on the other hand, was wide awake, hopelessly trying not to stare at Sasuke. He was tense, his arm wrapped around his frigging katana. His eyes shifted endlessly beneath his eyelids.

She took a deep breath and used her most advanced stealth skills to maneuver her way around the three men who were blocking her way to freedom. To hell with her bag, she didn't even need it as long as she could get away. She made it to the cave entrance silently, her chakra still masked as it had been for days, on request of Sasuke.

The cool breeze of the entrance washed over her and she held in a sigh. She took one look back at the sleeping man she wished she could love again…and then she ran.

Still keeping Team Hebi's faint but detectable chakra signatures on her radar, she went way damn faster than she'd even run before, willing her legs not to betray her. She could no longer feel the jounin team near by, they'd gone just before night fall. She stopped miles away from the cavern, her breathing not even labored as she removed the previously prepared scroll and formed the hand signs. The bird emerged from the paper and flew off, into the distance.

That was the moment she felt the chakra.

Behind her, stood the idiot red head.

"You stupid slut," Karin hissed angrily, "You don't deserve Sasuke-kun. He's mine. When I kill you, He'll need me again."

Sakura let out an obnoxious snort, "Sasuke needs no one. Haven't you learned that by now?"

"She's right."

Sakura frowned. She'd been distracted by Karin and had stupidly forgotten to keep track of Sasuke. And now she was trapped.

Damn Uchiha and his light sleeping habits.

"Great," She muttered, glaring at Karin, "Now I'm gonna have to kick your ass _and_ his."

* * *

I know. I took forever.

Gomen.

ily all.


	31. Kickin' Some Ass

Kickin' Some Ass.

Disc: Yeah. Alright. I'm chillin' down in VT right now at the last Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge before the Championships in two weeks. I FINALLY GOT MY HAT! (Now, if I owned Naruto would I really be THAT excited over a HAT?)

* * *

_I don't know where we went wrong, cause we used to be so strong…_

She jabbed her thumb behind her to emphasize that she meant Sasuke.

Karin, being the person she was, snorted. Loudly. "You? Beat Sasuke-kun and I? In your dreams, Pinky."

"Ah," Sakura replied with a roll of her eyes, "And she goes right for the name calling. So immature. Well, Sasuke, you sure know how to pick 'em."

Said man gave no indication that he cared about what she said at all.

"Oh," Sakura added pointedly, "And it's 'me and Sasuke', not 'Sasuke and I'."

"Just shut up," Karin retorted lamely, "Sasuke-kun, just kill her and then everything will be right again. I'll come back and show you my real skills and we'll find--"

A low rumbling sound emitted from Sasuke's throat and Sakura turned to look at him with a confused face, but not before noting the terrified look on Karin's. Sasuke had… growled.

Who growls? Seriously, now.

"Don't even say his name."

This sentence brought a mischievous grin to Sakura's face. She opened her mouth, her lips forming the single deadly word that she knew would set him off.

"Itachi."

Sasuke moved first, heading right for her, his face a mask of rage. (Why yes! An EMOTION!) His arms were almost too fast to see but she knew he was going for his katana. Immediately, she ducked, ripping her body easily to the side and out of the way. Sasuke turned his path in an instant, and she twisted around him, forming hand signs as she went.

Dog, Ram, Tiger, Ram, Dog, Rat, Snake.

Six more followed and she smashed her hands into the last sign to concentrate her chakra. Three milliseconds passed and the jutsu was set into motion. Or rather, slow motion. Everything was extremely slow. Hell, if it was raining (which she had used this jutsu in the rain) she's be able to avoid the raindrops long before they got close to even hitting her skin.

To Sasuke, she looked like… actually, she didn't look like anything at all. He couldn't even see her, she was moving so fast (or he was moving too slow!) and he was growing increasingly aggravated. His eyes flickered closed and when they opened a second later, they were endless depths of scarlet.

Sakura watched this happen, sending out three shuriken. One whizzed past his face, causing blood to flow to the top of the shallow cut. She smirked, it was right under his left crimson orb. Another oddly mutilated sound came from Sasuke and Karin jumped in, thinking she could help.

Sasuke glared at her, and she tried to back out again, but Sakura had already wanted to knock the girl in her face, which was just what she did. Her fist smashed into Karin's side, fracturing a few ribs and Sakura looked up to see Karin's mouth forming a small 'O'. She rolled her eyes and shoved, Karin went down faster than she could manage on a pair of skis going down a double black diamond.

(which is pretty damn fast…and hard.)

She turned her attention back to Sasuke, who was forming hand signs. His katana lit up a bright sparkling blue, the sound of crackling highly intense in the air. She swore, this was Sasuke's chidori nagashi, something she'd been hoping to avoid. Lightening techniques -- with her jutsu, and she on occasion, lost hold of it. She pooled her chakra in her mind, forcing the jutsu to stay strong as Sasuke lunged in the direction she had seconds before.

So he was catching on, eh? She had to get that stupid katana away from him. She moved in quickly and landed a punch to his torso. He didn't really show any pain, but she knew she'd done some damage. She spun around him and his most recent attack, 'Fire: Phoenix Flower Jutsu'. As she danced away from it, she twisted in, her foot leaving the ground and slamming into his most near body part which just happened to be his…ass.

The look on his face was absolutely priceless. Sakura sniggered.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the jutsu was wearing thin, but she had finally torn the sword away from him. It disappeared from Sasuke's sight with her speed, but she knew he could sense it-- it was lathered in his chakra. She had to make her move fast.

Aiming for his left side with the katana raised to strike, she lunged at him, at the same time dropping the jutsu. Five feet, three feet, two--

**Squelch.**

Her jade eyes widened as the shock smashed her in the face like a brick. Sasuke also looked momentarily surprised, but he regained his composure first, the stray emotion firmly shoved back behind the cold façade. The blood dripped in between her fingers, down her arm and into her sleeve. Karin stood gasping, the sword protruding from her chest. Her red eyes glared dimly at Sakura before she started trying to focus on taking breaths. Sakura knew that she had a collapsed lung, probably punctured.

She blinked once and then ripped the sword from Karin, who screamed in protest. Or maybe pain. The red-head fell to the forest floor where Sakura ripped open her shirt. She scanned Karin's chakra systems and then began to heal the wound. When she was done, the skin there was pink and blotchy, still missing a few couple of layers. Karin had passed out a couple minutes into the healing and we currently unconscious…but alive.

It was then that she remembered who she was healing and who was standing just off to the side. Sakura looked up at him, intense defiance in her eyes. Sasuke returned the look with a blank face. She looked to her left where Sasuke's now bloody katana lay in the grass. She stared cross-eyed at it for a minute before picking it up and standing. She could feel him tense.

"Can I go now?" She asked, smirking.

He glared at her.

"Hn."

"I think I'll take that as a 'yes'." She turned and the katana was airborne for a moment until it landed neatly straight up just to the right of Karin's head.

And then she began to walk away, leaving Sasuke with an unconscious freak and a bloody katana.

Too bad she knew it wasn't over.

She knew Sasuke was pissed that Karin had jumped in front of her attack. His ego and pride were getting in the way of what Sakura saw as a real sacrifice, one that you'd make when you really cared about someone. Karin really did care about Sasuke, and she understood that. But she was also smart enough to know that the bastard didn't. He could care less if Karin tried to save his life-- to him, it was a blow to his pride that another saved him from receiving the brunt of the attack.

He would want to fight again, just to prove that he could beat her without help.

And she would then begin her argument.

She tree-hopped back to the cave, knowing Sasuke was close on her tail. She knew that she couldn't get away without a death match and she really didn't want to go through that. She would if she had to though, she needed to get back to Konoha, file a report and then go to bed. And shower. Kami, she needed to shower. Maybe she could get them back to the cave and Sasuke would be distracted and then she could get away? She stepped into the cave opening where Suigetsu and Juugo were sitting stiffly. Juugo just kind of stared at her while Suigetsu openly glared.

"What?" She asked smugly, picking up her bag. "Gotta go. Karin's gonna need some TLC if ya know what I mean, so you should probably help Sasuke out. I'm sure he's not happy about having to carry her back here."

Suigetsu said nothing, just remained seated at the tea table, two water bottles in front of him, one half empty.

Juugo was staring at her from his corner. She turned towards the entrance and Suigetsu stood up.

"I wouldn't do that, kitten. Boss-man says that you gotta stay here. Which means you gotta stay here. If I let you prance out of this place, I'd get a sword shove up my ass, and that would be really uncomfortable," Suigetsu explained, not looking up.

She put a hand on her hip, "Stop me, then."

She stepped out of the cave and came face to face with another Suigetsu.

She looked behind her. He was grinning. Water clone. She punched the clone without even looking at it and then took off running. Behind her, she heard Suigetsu, "Damn. She wants to play a game. That is _so_ hot."

Rolling her eyes, she took off in the direction she had last seen the Konoha jounin. This would be a _long_ day.


	32. Untitled

**AU. **

**SasuSaku.**

**Disc: I like cows. They go moo. .-**

**Untitled.**

* * *

It was their first day back from spring break.

And she was feeling _good_.

When Haruno Sakura arrived in homeroom inexplicably early, there was no sign of Uchiha Sasuke- her current 'almost' boyfriend. Smiling lightly, she chose a seat by the window and settled down, taking a deep breath. She pulled out her current choice of a good read and opened it with fake interest.

She paused, scrunching up her cute, round nose.

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't her 'almost' boyfriend _exactly_. He was more of a …well, she didn't really know. He liked to see her flustered, liked to push her buttons, and sort of voiced a non-verbal liking of her. But that wasn't enough, exactly. He was very hard to read. He had been adopted at a young age due to a tragedy with his family (something he refused to talk about), and had a hard time opening up.

So she was kind of eh. He changed moods like a pregnant woman, liking her and poking at her one moment to being angry with her, disliking her, and completely ignoring her.

She knew he'd entered the room when the sound of several girly gasps rang through the room. He basically had his own freaking fan club.

"Ooh, Sasuke-kun! You look so amazing!"  
"How was your summer, Sasuke-kun?"  
"Gosh, Sasuke-kun, you really worked out!"  
"Hey, Sasuke-kun--"

The room was suddenly very silent. She ground her teeth together as she noticed the footsteps approaching. Out of nowhere, she could feel every eye in the room on her. The chair next to hers was pulled back, causing her to blink, her eyes still on her book. Sakura looked up slightly, her bottle green eyes landing on a gently tanned masculine hand that was resting on the back of the neighboring chair. She followed the hand up to the back of the wrist, then the arm, the elbow, her eyes widened a bit when she saw the bicep- (it was huge!) And then there was the shoulder, neck, the sculpted jaw line, the smirking mouth, the perfect nose, aristocratic cheek bones, then…jade met onyx.

It was a good ten seconds before he actually sat down. And still, the room was deathly silent- neither of them had spoken and every eye in the room was still invading the privacy of their corner spot by the window.

Their homeroom teach, Hatake Kakashi appeared twenty minutes later than the teachers were permitted to, and he smiled- twenty minutes was early for his usual. He noted the silence and followed his students eyes to the corner before they settled momentarily on Sasuke and Sakura, sitting side-by-side. Sakura was fidgeting with a pen while Sasuke sat next to her smirking outright, hands clasped under his chin, elbows on the table.

"…strange…"

Sakura was surprised. After Sasuke had appeared at the end of her fourth period class, she realized that he had been materializing outside of _all_ of her classes, even if he didn't have them too. And each and every time, he would walk her to her next class, then brush up against her arm…and she would shiver. And they still hadn't said a word to each other.

Sixth period came along and she couldn't take it anymore. They were in the cafeteria and Sasuke had once again chosen a seat next to her. She summoned all of her confidence and leaned into him, her mouth at his ear and her hand on his thigh.

"Hey, I think we should leave early."

She pulled away with a slight smirk of her own, the whole cafeteria was watching them again. He had shifted his head towards her and raised an eyebrow at her smirk. Her hand hadn't left his thigh.

He nodded.

Seventh period, Uzumaki Naruto wondered where Sasuke and Sakura had disappeared to.

She didn't even give him the time to start the ignition once he'd closed the car door. Instead, she leaned over and attacked his lips with a feverish kiss.,

"I'm surprised," He told her bluntly as she leaned back into her own seat. He turned the car on, "What happened over break?"

She grinned as they pulled out of the high school parking lot and onto the road, heading towards his house/

"You happened."

His cocky smirk didn't go un-noticed, but it didn't bother her as much as it should've. The second they pulled into Sasuke's drive-way, they both bolted from the car and into the house. They ran past the two people in the main hallway and up the stairs to Sasuke's bedroom.

The butler turned to the maid, "It's only twelve fifteen."

The maid just smiled and shook her head.

* * *

They were kissing before Sasuke's door was even closed. His shirt came off first and he heard her suck in a breath. She smiled when she watched his pride swell, he had obviously been working extra hard on his muscles over his vacation. To add affect, she whistled loudly, a catcall.

He raised both eyebrows.

Next thing she knew, she was being pressed into the suede couch and her shirt was on the floor six feet away. He had gotten his jeans off without much hassel and was now working on hers when she stopped him.

"Not on the couch." He stared down at her, "I've never been up on your loft."

He was dumbfounded at the mischievous look in her bright green eyes. He stood up, getting off of her and stretched, watching her reaction through hooded eyes. And she _was_ watching him.

"Alright," he agreed quietly.

His hard-on was beginning to drive him up the wall. Besides, with her lying on his couch without a shirt n, he was only getting very antsy. He watched as she stood and swayed over to the base of the stairs at the left of his loft.

"Coming?" She dropped her jeans and smiled seductively at him before scampering up the stairs. Oh yes, he was coming, and in more ways than one. He turned, locking his bedroom door before walking over to descend the stairs.

She was lying comfortably on his bed when he got to the door at the top. Her hair looked like an even brighter shade of cotton candy pink against the navy blue sheets and black comforter on his large bed and he almost grinned when he noticed her remaining clothing (if you could call it _clothing_) was the same color.

He was snapped back to reality by the annoying ache below his hips. He was on the bed suddenly, crashing his lips to hers. And to think, it was only 12:30. They still had the whole day ahead of them.

XxX

Sakura scrunched up her nose against the darkness. It was pitch black and she COULD NOT SEE. Well, except for the red glowing digital numbers of the clock. It glared blaringly at her, as if floating there.

Four twenty-three in the morning.

She blinked. First of all, her clock's glowing numbers were bright _green_. Secondly, her window always let the moonlight in. And thirdly, there was this foreign arm wrapped possessively around her seemingly clothing-less waist.

…WHERE WAS SHE, AGAIN?

Oh, yes…right.

Sasuke's. There was a warm breath ghosting the top of her hair. Oh damn. And they had _school_ tomorrow. But she really didn't want to wake him up. Lightly, she tried to move his arm, but apparently, he didn't want to get her go.

"What are you doing?" He asked groggily.

"Sasuke…It's four thirty in the morning."

"…So?"

She sighed, exasperated, "We have school at eight."

"….We just won't go. It won't kill us to miss a single day."

"What about your parents?"

"They won't be home until tomorrow night," he replied nonchalantly.

Sakura was out of excuses.

"But Sasuke--"

"Go back to sleep."

"Sasuke, I--"

"Do I need to tire you out again?"

She shut up.

He smirked, pulling her closer and pulled the comforter around them.

…Now that he finally had her, he wasn't gonna just let her go.

* * *

She woke up again at quarter to eleven. She would be in fifth period right now.

Sasuke was still flush against her and sleeping soundly, the only thing different was that they had change positions. Instead of facing away from him with his arm around her waist, she was now sprawled effectively across his very nice, very toned chest. His arm was still around her hips, though.

The thing was, she really needed to pee. This time, she managed to dislodge herself from his bear-like grasp without awakening him. She gathered her bra and panties, both strewn carelessly on the floor and walked down the stairs, gathering her other clothes around his room. When she was done, she put them all on his computed chair and picked up the black shirt he'd been wearing the day before and shrugged it on, just noticing the small white and red uchiwa on the back. Next, she made her way to his attached bathroom.

Once she'd come back out, her stomach growled. She looked at the door to the hallway longingly for a moment, thinking of breakfast before her stomach growled again.

A minute later, she was looking down at Sasuke's face. He looked so serene and innocent (far from what he really was) with his hair splayed across the pillow, the look of confusion evident on his face as his hand reached out for her.

He cracked an obsidian eye open. She was standing there with a sheepish smile, biting her bottom lip in a hesitant manner.

"What?" He asked, his voice still gravelly from sleep. She blinked at him and he noticed the shirt, and smirked knowingly.

She looked away, "Uhm…"

He frowned, reached up and pulled her down in between his comforter-covered legs. "What is it?"

She opened her mouth to reply but her stomach gurgled, answering for her.

He smirked again and just shook his head before leaning his forehead on to her collarbone. He could almost see the blush spreading to her cheeks as his breath tickled the sensitive skin of her neck.

"Do…you think…we could just…get some_ toast_…or…"

Sasuke chuckled lightly, leaned back and reached for the phone on his night table. He spoke to whoever was on the other end for a moment about getting breakfast ready and then hung up. Ten minutes later, Sasuke was trudging back up the loft stairs, breakfast tray in hand.

Sakura's mouth watered as her eyes fell upon the tray, (and the batch-of-_sexy_ carrying it). There was toast, with grape jelly and butter on the side, there was tea, orange juice and water, there was pancakes and waffles, with a side of hash browns…

Sasuke wanted to laugh at the look on her face, one of pure exstacy. As they ate, Sakura tried to make small talk, but failed miserably, as Sasuke just raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in response to each question. Once breakfast was done, she decided to try again.

"You know, you're really anti-social," Sakura told him honestly, "I mean, you're surrounded by tons of people and everybody likes you--"

"They don't even know why," He told her, eyes narrowing.

"Well, maybe they would if you spoke to them."

He stared at her "I'll show you fucking _anti-social_," He said, and then he pulled the borrowed shirt over her head, ditched his sweats and went in for Round Two.

_

* * *

_

I think this one turned out okay.

They're just highschool students, trying a relationship out.

I don't know. Trying to find out where my plot bunnies hopped off to.

Review, please?


	33. I Love You

**

* * *

**

I love you.

**NaruSaku.**

_Disclaimer: _Unfortunately, I don't own NARUTO or any of the characters in this drabble. But I'm ready and willing to take the blonde cutie off the hands of anybody who's selling!

* * *

_/...I don't know what I'd do without you…\_

* * *

I was on my back, propped against my pillows, staring out of the window on the left of the bed. The moon was high in the inky night sky, and I sighed contentedly, watching the clouds drift around.

Lately I'd been reminiscing on the past.

It was strange, and out-of-the-blue, I hadn't thought about the past for a long time. Next to me, Naruto grumbled something and twisted around before settling closer to me and depositing his large, tan hand onto my abdomen. His fingers twitched for a moment, tickling my skin before they ceased movement and his hand relaxed.

* * *

_He was something else. That certainly hadn't changed._

_As my eyes locked with Naruto's for the first time in three years, I took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey, Naruto. I've missed you."_

_His face brightened instantly, a large fox-like grin stretching across it. "I missed you, too, Sakura-chan," He replied, and I could immediately see the changes that he had gone through. _

_He had matured, that was obvious. He was taller, his face a good four inches above my own. His hair was longer, a spike or two drooping over his fore-head protector and into his cerulean eyes. _

_He reached over and embraced me, crushing me against him. I could feel his muscles ripple beneath his odd black and orange ninja gear and I laughed as he squeezed me tightly. _

_Naruto had grown up. _

* * *

I looked down at his face, which was burrowed into my side. He looked completely content and peaceful, as if he didn't have a care in the world. His breath was warm against my ribs and I shivered, pulling the sheet up over his hand, my abdomen and my chest. I tucked it slightly around his head so that his face remained untouched and uncovered- he'd probably get confused if he woke up with a sheet over his head.

I giggled lightly at this thought and froze when the movement of my body disturbed the man next to me. He murmured something and his eyes opened half-way for a moment before he shut them again.

His hand removed itself from the spot on my stomach and wound around my side knocking the sheet away and pulling me closer to him. He picked up his head, his eyes half-open again and smiled sleepily at me before laying his head down where his hand had been.

* * *

_I was surprised, that was obvious. He had grown so much without me._

_His techniques had matured, save the harem-no-jutsu and I was taken aback with the progress we'd made together against Kakashi-sensei and his bell test. The Icha Icha Paradise trick was a dirty one, but we had still prevailed, unlike last time._

_Naruto grinned at me, waving the bells around as Kakashi-sensei sighed warily._

_The doubtful lingering feeling I had about him really changing was gone. I had truly missed the loveable blonde fool._

* * *

I rolled my eyes and ran a tentative hand through his yellow hair, rubbing gentle circles onto his scalp. He groaned beneath my hand and nudged my stomach with his cheek. I sighed, stopping the motion every now and then when I found a scar under his hair- he was riddled with them, but still beautiful.

His fingers clenched around my hip as he mumbled something against my exposed skin.

"Hmm?" I replied in response, looking back out the window as my hand continued it's assault on Naruto's scalp.

He didn't respond, only tugged me closer and hummed, lost in a haze of sleep.

* * *

_We had stood there in a blank haze, both staring at the spot where Sasuke had been standing moments before. Both Naruto and I now knew that he wasn't the same boy that had been our teammate so long ago; now he was something else, something dark._

_The boy who had once been willing to lay his very life on the line for ours, had just tried to take them both. And we would've let him._

_I only realized it too late- We didn't need Sasuke._

_We haven't needed him in a good long while._

_All we needed was each other. And Naruto was beginning to grow on me again._

* * *

I was mesmerized by the smile that had found itself on Naruto's lips as he spoke in his sleep. Even as he rambled on about ramen, I couldn't stop the smile trying to take over my entire face.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing but it didn't work and the movement of my abdomen woke him once again. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked un-surely, his eyes still hazy from sleep. After a long moment, he turned his head and looked up at me.

I smiled gently down at him in response and he wiggled his fingers on my hip, causing me to gasp and writhe- my body now shaking with laughter. His head was jarred from its resting place as I bucked up, away from the offending fingers.

"Tickleish, 'Kura-chan?" He inquired, his voice slightly hoarse.

I sent him an annoyed glare, my face set into a scowl.

"No? Really? Cause you sure seem like it," He teased, his hand grasping my bare hip again as the assault continued. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to hold in my giggling as I wiggled away and leapt from the bed.

He smirked at the display I was giving him and I frowned, dragging the sheet from the bed and running down the hall, leaving him sitting on the now empty bed. "Sakura-chan!"

I quieted down as I came to a stop in the kitchen, flopping down on the floor with a muted 'thud' and wrapping the sheet around myself. I took a deep breath and rested my head against the cabinet for a moment.

* * *

_He grinned at me._

"_I know you like me, Sakura-chan," He whispered nonchalantly in my ear._

"_Oh, do you?" I asked in response, raising an eyebrow at his smirk._

"_Yes, and if you don't yet, you will."_

"_What are you, psychic?" I asked, my tone slightly amused. _

"_Well, seeing as you're already married to me and have to live with me for the rest of your life, you probably ought to start liking me." He winked and pulled me towards him, kissing me gently._

"_I don't like you," I told him _seriously_._

_He blinked, pulling away from me. I found him looking down at me, an un-readable expression on his face. I felt cold that he was no longer touching me, though his touch still lingered on me, his smell… The look on his face almost broke my heart. Since he didn't seem to be getting it, I figured I needed to clarify._

"_I _love _you," I stated calmly, watching relief wash over his features._

"_You scared me for a minute there," He told me, squeezing me to him._

"_Idiot. I love you, I love you, I love you," I recited quietly and he smiled down at me, blue eyes sparkling._

"_I love you, too," He responded, kissing me again._

* * *

I lifted my head away from the cabinet, turning my body and sighed, closing my eyes. I listened for any sign of Naruto for a moment, but when nothing came, I groaned. My eyes opened as Naruto came barreling around the corner of the island, tackling me to the kitchen floor.

He grinned as I struggled in vain underneath him.

"Thought I'd let you get away?"

"Psh. I _let _you find me."

"Did you?"

"Hai."

He kissed me playfully, taking my bottom lip in between his teeth. When he pulled away, I smirked up at him. "Uhm, is that a kunai in your pants or are you just happy to see me?"

He let out a bark of laughter. "Well, considering I'm not wearing any pants…"

I scoffed, trying to push the smile off my face. "Perv."

"Well, you asked."

"Shut up."

"Ooh, Sakura-chan's touchy, touchy!"

"I'll show you touchy," I vowed, flipping us over and shoving my hand between our bodies to grasp him.

He looked mildly surprised before his eyes shut and he let out a low groan. When his eyes opened again, they were hazy with pleasure, a dark navy blue. He smiled up at me, and he brought his hand up to the back of my neck, where he tugged my face down and our lips met again.

* * *

_The blow to my side was hideously painful; and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Naruto's eyes widen as I coughed up blood._

"_Sakura-chan! Are you okay?"_

"_S'all good," I groaned, standing up as straight as I could with the throbbing pain in my side. I couldn't heal it: I needed to save my chakra so that I could heal Naruto. He was bleeding worse that I was, and I couldn't even see Sai._

"_Don't lie to me, Sakura-chan!" He growled from across the field, "I'm gonna kill this bastard!"_

_He lunged at said bastard and caught him in the jaw with his fist. The mist-nin blinked out of sight and the moment he did, I knew he was going to re-appear behind me. I pulled out a kunai and spun around, slicing downward as he re-appeared. _

_He must've been expecting it because he knocked me backwards a few feet. _

_Naruto was yelling as he rushed towards us and I pushed through the pain and shot towards the pale man. He was laughing at my distress and my eyes narrowed as I slammed a chakra enhanced fist into his rib cage. _

_His blade (What's with Mist and blades? Kami!) came swooshing through the air and I moved to avoid it. Anger was welling up in his eyes and I jumped back, avoiding yet another swipe. Naruto charged him from behind and the moment he did, I knew it was going to end badly._

_The blade came down, aiming for Naruto's neck and I dove, hoping it wouldn't kill me and I blocked Naruto from the attack. It sliced into my back and I yelped in pain, feeling the blood gush from the wound._

_Naruto was pissed now, and he attacked with fervor. Minutes later, he returned to her side, a panicked look in his eyes. "Sakura-chan, can you hear me?"_

"_Of course I can her you. I'm wounded, not deaf," I said drowsily. _

_Naruto began yelling for Sai and Kakashi before I faded out of consciousness. When I woke up in a hospital bed two days later, Naruto's head of mussed hair lying on my bed-side, tears welled up in my eyes. He was my protector, my best-friend, my teammate, the person I trusted the most with my heart and soul. He could make me laugh, he could brighten my day with a single gesture..._

_I loved this boy._

* * *

Needless to say, we never made it back to our bedroom and I woke up plastered to Naruto's chest in the kitchen. He awoke as well, twenty minutes later when I threw a blanket over top of him, to the smell of breakfast.

His eye lids fluttered open to see me standing in front of the stove wrapped in the pale green sheet, operating the spatula with disturbing concentration.

He laughed, whole heartedly as I cheekily offered him breakfast.

"In bed?" He asked, grinning.

"If you call that spot right there, bed, then yes."

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the cool floor, watching me with interest.

"I love you."

I bent down easily and licked my lips. "I love you, too, Naruto."

* * *

Psh.

I don't know.

I just for some reason, suddenly love NaruSaku.

So …if you don't like that…well, I don't know what to tell you because I love them! Woot!

Which doesn't mean I no longer love SasuSaku, cause I do…I just love NaruSaku now too. ;)


	34. Reminiscing

**Reminiscing.**

_SasuSaku/NaruSaku_

_Disc:_ No. That's all I have to say.

* * *

She relaxed back against the sofa, sinking into it with an air of exhaustion. It was just too much; she couldn't handle the way of life if people were going to treat her this way.

Actually, that was wrong. They weren't treating her in _any _way. Tsunade-sama had been so involved with her work lately, that she hadn't spoken to Sakura at all, and Naruto had been on missions for the last three weeks, consistently.

Sai and Yamoto had been re-assigned to ANBU again, and she hadn't seen them in months.

Genma never stopped by anymore to chat with her; not since he bagged his new girlfriend- she took up all of the pervert's time. And Kakashi: he was stepping in for Iruka at the academy this month: the poor guy had broken his collar bone on a mission and was out of commission for the next two months. Not that Kakashi would've been available had he not been subbing, the man was usually encased in something, whether it be a mission or his ratty old Icha Icha.

Ino had just given birth to her baby; Shiakinou and had no time to 'dilly-dally' with Sakura. Even Hinata was engrossed with the duties of becoming Head of the Hyuuga clan. So she had been working non-stop shifts at the hospital, pouring all of her time and chakra into other people, hoping it would make her feel better.

It didn't.

Eventually, she had to take a break or she herself would break from chakra depletion and lack of sleep. So here she was, finally home after a week and a half of sleeping in her office at the hospital.

The quietness that had greeted her when she walked in the door was un-nerving, almost scary, despite the fact that she was a trained shinobi. So she'd dusted the couch off, waved the feeling of uneasiness away and plopped down into the pale green cushions.

Slowly, she reached onto the coffee table and produced a remote, to which she aimed at her stereo system: she needed to drown out the silence. As she flicked it on; The Spill Canvas, and American band, came on, probably the c.d. that was still in there from whenever she had listened to it last.

_'I'm bottling up your soft,  
__Dream-like scent,  
__In my head for the ride home...  
__I've been searching,  
__With bruised limbs,  
__For ways to get me going...' _

She almost laughed out loud at the song that was playing: one of the saddest melodies she knew; it was called Under The Covers.

_'To give me confidence to stare,  
__And observe the world,  
__To give me confidence to stare...'_

A light sigh expelled from her slightly parted lips as she listened to the lyrics.

_'If I could sleep forever,  
Would you still be in my dreams?  
If I could sleep forever,  
Would you still be in my dreams?'_

She closed her eyes and stood, walking over to the window that faced the quiet street her apartment was located on. She pushed the white, flowing curtains away from it and opened it with no sound at all, still slightly swaying to the saddening melody that she couldn't bring herself to turn off.

_'If I could sleep forever,  
Would you still be in my dreams,  
Under the covers...?'_

The breeze flooded in, disturbing the light dust that had formed over the house in her absence. She walked slowly down the hall to her bedroom, which also remained un-touched. She hadn't even been home to get clothing. Instead, the song still playing from the living room turned her towards her bedroom window, which she opened as well, letting the moldy flowery scent of loneliness drift through the open window. Quietly, she turned towards her bedside stand and opened the drawer, removing a small box from it. As she sat down on her stiffly made bed, she placed the box on her lap and turned her jade orbs toward the night sky once more.

She missed everyone so much. There were times that she had found herself laughing at random moments and speaking to herself; it was un-nerving how lonely she felt, with everyone gone and busy.

Her attention drifted to the box again and she tugged the top off lightly, placing in beside her on the bed. She reached inside carefully, removing the photograph with caution. The picture of Team Seven drew her eyes toward it as the moon light hit it- from Kakashi's overly happy expression, to her smile, to Naruto's frown and Sasuke's scowl.

Those were her boys; none of which had time for her anymore. Not that Sasuke really counted in her life now, anyway.

Sai had been his replacement for awhile, and now Team Seven was no more, just individuals living their lives, having no time for each other after their permanent departures, only for their own personal missions and goals.

Pushing back swirling emotions, she next pulled the old blue forehead protector from it's empty grave in which it had lain with the photo of her team. The same team ripped apart by vengeance and bonds that had been broken forcibly. The old material was still soft against her tired digits, despite its worn appearance, obviously torn in a few spots from over-use. The metal was scraped near the leaf symbol, though not on it, and Tsunade had given her the red one once she had earned her position back at the hospital.

Her thoughts drifted to Sasuke and Naruto, two best friends torn apart because of a tragedy and because of stewing hatred and rage that could no longer be controlled once let loose. She winced, wondering if she could've somehow changed the outcome of their separation had she been stronger and smarter.

She missed them; more than she should. Naruto was her best-friend save Ino, and Sasuke had been what she considered her first love, no matter how blind that love had been. She had cared about him deeply, at first just because and in the end, because he was someone who would put his life on the line for her. And now he was just a shell of a man, corrupt with hatred and the need for revenge. She had long ago relieved Naruto from his un-keep able promise to bring the stubborn Uchiha back, and had given up on him and ever getting the cold boy to return her feelings.

Noticeably, though she didn't think so, she had shut her heart off from the feeling of loving and completely trusting someone with her whole heart, and when she had finally started to break out from beneath the shell, they had all fallen away from her.

And now she was alone.

Tentatively, she placed the photo back into the box and put the top on. She blinked at the full moon, shining down on Konohagakure with fervor and placed the box back in the drawer. The sweatshirt on the chair in the corner caught her eye and she sucked in a breath as she stood, walking over to the chair.

It was orange and obviously a male's.

She reached down to grasp the cloth and shook her head, wondering when exactly the knucklehead had left it. It didn't seem as dusty as the rest of her silent house, and she frowned, pulling it up to her chest. It still smelled strongly of the boy, and she smiled lightly when she realized he must've been looking for her here recently.

She moved back over to the bed and laid down, the sweatshirt still in her arms.

Naruto had become more than just a best friend.

Naruto had shone potential- and though he had supposedly given up on trying to win her heart; he had finally won it over. Bottle-green eyes set themselves on the night sky again and she wished suddenly that life would be easier. Her feelings for Naruto were still sort of undefined in her mind, and she wasn't even sure if he had really given up or was just trying to. It was ironic the way Kami-sama had things work out.

She shifted on the mattress as clouds drifted over the only source of light and something clicked in her mind as she heard The Spill Canvas still playing in the living room. Sighing contentedly, she drifted off into a light slumber, allowing all thoughts to get lost in the twisting abyss that was her mind.

* * *

The next one will be a NejiTen, then it'll be a NaruHina, Then possibly a NaruSaku/ShikaIno, and then a SasuSaku. I know, I said this would be mostly SasuSaku, and IT IS. So no complaining, people! And remember I am still updating my other SasuSaku stories, so don't forget to read those! ;)


	35. Escape

**Escape.**

_KotetsuXIzumo_

**Dedication:** For Ebil. It's her birthday today and this is what she wanted. Iloveyou, so very much. It's short but sweet.

_Disc:_ Yeah fricken right, aghhh.

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the end of third period. Izumo was feeling quite detached and generally nauseous, still un-ready for the day. He'd been ghosting through his classes, trying to fit himself into corners and be as invisible as he felt. His third period English teacher, Jiraiya-sensei had noticed the withdrawn boy with a frown.

Slowly, Izumo walked to fourth period, waving gently at people who called out to him- he was well-liked, just not very outgoing at certain points of the day. As he took his seat in Psycology, his blank stupor gained Ibiki-sensei's attention as well.

Truthfully, he didn't know if he could make it through the day. He hadn't seen Kotetsu all morning, and his parents had fought in the early hours of the day. They were still yelling and screaming at each other as he yanked the fridge open and pulled out the container of orange juice.

His mother, dark-haired and funny, has abandoned all attempts at making nice with his father. The older male had been in a rut the past few weeks, turning increasingly more irritable. Both adults paid him no heed. Angrily, he brought the orange juice up into the air with an even motion and threw it, watching as it slammed into the wall nearest to the kitchen table with a variety of sounds.

Both parents turned to look at him, both looking quite confused as he'd stomped angrily out of the house, without so much as a goodbye.

As his teacher handed out their work for the day, Izumo glanced upwards at the white board, looking for the date. He'd written it down on his paper before he actually comprehended it. It seemed familiar, as if he'd missed something.

And that's when he remembered: It was his god damn birthday.

It was his god damn birthday and everyone had forgotten, including himself.

Had he really been that oblivious recently, to even forget when his own birthday was? Great way to start the day: having your parents fight in front of you before you go off to school and feel like complete shit. (Kit, _I_ love you.)

He didn't even notice Morino-sensei calling his name until Genma tapped him on the shoulder from the seat behind him. "He's calling to you, Izumo," Genma grumbled, leaning back in his chair to continue chewing on his toothpick (senbon are not allowed in school.).

Slowly, the boy stood, grasping his books as he made his way up the front of the room where he was surprised to find Kotetsu waiting for him, a smug smile on his face.

He was grateful to be standing in front of his savior- Kotetsu was holding a yellow hall pass as he led his friend out into the hall.

"Where are we going?" Izumo asked after a moment, noticing they weren't heading in the direction of school staff.

"Somewhere," Kotetsu answered evenly with a smirk, grasping his friend's hand. "Happy birthday."

Izumo was taken-aback. "What?"

"You deaf?" Kotetsu questioned with a grin, "I said happy fricken birthday, dork."

"…How'd you know?"

"How did I _not_?"

Dumbfounded, Izumo allowed his equally-dark-haired friend to drag him further down the hallway until they stopped in front of un-specified location: room 32A. There was no window on the door, Izumo turned to the other boy, "Where are we?"

He figured that since he'd been going to this school for the last three years, he ought to know where the hell he was. Kotetsu didn't answer though, just yanked him inside and shut the door, letting go of Izumo's hand.

The space was pitch-black and Izumo couldn't see a thing and he was still obviously confused. Reaching out, he called, "Where are you?"

The light flickered on, revealing a grinning Kotetsu standing next to a bucket and a mop.

"…Why are we in the janitor's closet?" Izumo asked, his eyebrows raised.

A small snicker, mischievous almost naughty answered his question. "We're in here," Kotetsu said with a smirk, "Because it's your birthday."

Izumo looked around with renewed interest as his eyes found Kotetsu's and suddenly his day had brightened considerably. This boy was his best friend, his partner-in-crime and most importantly, his _escape._ His escape from reality, his escape from the prosecution of his peers, his escape from life.

Kotetsu protected him.

As said boy leaned forward with a smirk, Izumo forgot about everything- about his previously forgotten birthday, about his parents, about his classes, all that mattered was where they were now; and the answer to that, was together.


	36. Feeling

**Feeling.**

_SasuSaku._

**Warning: **Slightly OOC, First paragraph there's a spoiler.

(AND HEY! MY FRICKEN BIRTHDAY IS EXACTLY **TWO **MONTHS AWAY TODAY! _DATTEBAYOOOOO_!)

_Disc: _Bitch, please. If I owned this, I'd the the richest teenager alive. (makes sad face.)

* * *

The first time he saw her after he had returned, she was angry that he was alive, staring her in the eyes after six years had passed. (We're going to pretend that we don't know anything about the council ordering Itachi to kill the clan. Ha… Cause you know, _I_ wouldn't return to the village that ordered _my_ entire family killed.) The second time he'd seen her she had been buying groceries in the market and her jade eyes had flashed a deep shade of viridian when he'd reached over her shoulder to grab a tomato.

The third time he'd seen her they'd been waiting on the bridge for Naruto and their ever-tardy jounin leader. The pinkette refused to speak to him, so he didn't bother opening his mouth.

The fourth time, they'd been completely drunk. He only remembers it vaguely, downing a few shots as he watched her flirt her way into a couple more free drinks. He'd been getting up to leave just as she had and he had bumped into her- literally. She'd turned and squinted at him wearily, blinking as if trying to understand what she was really seeing.

The next thing he remembered after that was waking up in his bed with his nose buried into something that resembled cotton candy. And she'd fled, and he'd been left to wonder what the fuck was going on.

After that, he lost count on the trillion and a half times he'd seen her and began to ponder on how the hell they'd gotten themselves to where they were now. Both were nineteen, Sasuke's birthday having just passed the month before. August was usually a boring month for Konoha, but this summer a war was brewing on the edges of Fire Country and Tsunade wanted to be prepared.

She had sent them out on a mission to gather information in the form of seduction. Unfortunately for him, one of the two targets was female, which meant Sasuke needed to seduce her as well. (Sakura had laughed at this.) He had never had to have sex on a mission, and thought it to be disgusting.

Who knew what these people had!

But it was his duty as a ninja of Konoha to come through for his village and complete any mission assigned to him. He looked around casually, their targets weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow and they weren't supposed to move in until tomorrow anyway. For now they were inconspicuously sitting at the bar.

He glanced at Sakura. She had changed a lot since their genin days, her hair was now just in between short and long- a perfect medium. It fell just past her shoulders when it was down, although it was in a neat ponytail at the moment. Her jade green eyes had grown much more intense and her dark magenta lashes accentuated them greatly.

Her lips were perfectly proportioned and her jaw line was curved sweetly. She was thin and toned, and her once-flat chest was now an even B cup. (…So what if he knew her bra size!) She was no where near her mentor in that area, but in others, she was almost frighteningly the same. Her temper was almost uncontrollable, and her fists were lethal.

The petite girl sat beside him sipping her light beer with slight distaste. Being beautiful was a bad thing in this brothel- (Most of their girls were no where near Sakura's appearance) and she was drawing quite the audience. Men, young, old, dirty, and scummy were all staring at her from around the room. Anger simmered in Sasuke's chest- she was his. She had promised.

"Sasuke," She said, her face carefully blank, "Are you finished with your drink? I think I'm ready to go back to our room now."

Around them, males eyed Sasuke with envy, each of them wanting to be him at that exact moment. In reality, they had two separate beds in their room, much to Sasuke's dislike. He knew though, that he could have her if he put his mind to it; physically anyway.

"Aa," He responded after a moment and dropped some ryo on the bar to pay for their purchases, "Let's go then."

They stood, Sasuke ahead of her. He moved quickly and disappeared out the door a few feet in front of her. She sighed as she took another step towards the door, the same time a large, burly looking man closed it and stood in front of it, blocking her exit.

"What can I do for you, Pretty Lady?" He asked, grinning anxiously at her. She inwardly cringed at his rotting teeth. She put her finger on her chin in mock-thought.

"Oh, well, I don't know. You could step aside," She suggested in an annoyed tone.

The man ignored her and continued on, "Come to my hotel. I'll show you a good time, baby."

Sakura wanted to kill herself. She couldn't do a damn thing without letting the whole brothel know she was a kunoichi, which would blow their covers for tomorrow. Yuck-man moved forward, grabbing her forearm harshly as he lowered his face closer to hers than her comfort zone wanted to allow.

"I'll be gentle with you, promise," He cooed his rancid breath spilling over her face. She grimaced.

"Let her go, _now_."

Yet another grin broke out onto Yuck-Man's face as he swung around to face the voice, his hand still grasping her forearm. The grin fell promptly off his face as he found himself face-to-face with Sasuke, his sharingan spinning angrily. He dropped her arm immediately and she moved quickly to Sasuke's side.

"Now fuck off," He told the man and opened the door, gesturing for Sakura to go first. She did and they arrived at their hotel minutes later.

"Thanks," She mumbled to Sasuke as they reached their room, "Couldn't jeopardize the mission."

"Hn."

He watched as she moved silently over to the gray window and looked out upon the rainy night sky, shining with stars of every brightness. Her back was stiff and tense, signaling either anxiety or stress for their current assignment. He took a deep breath and moved across the room.

Her breath caught in her throat as he touched her shoulder, his mouth meeting her ear, "It's just a mission," He whispered, "Avoid it if you can."

"Why?" She asked, "You suddenly give a damn?"

She was slammed into the wall unexpectedly. "You fool yourself into thinking that when you know I do. Don't push my _fucking_ buttons, Sakura," He snarled, angry at himself for speaking at all.

"Just making sure," She told him slowly as he turned away from her, his mouth in a thin line.

But then she was there, her warmth all over him as they fell back onto her bed, her kisses up and down his neck…

He wanted her so badly, but this was just too fucked up. It was getting to the point that after every time he didn't want to leave her, and just wanted to lay with her forever and never let her go. It had only started because they had been drunk, and it had only continued because it had been regretfully convenient, both of them acting on instinct and riding themselves of their sexual frustration.

Too bad it had gone deeper than that for the dark-haired shinobi, who had only recently started sorting out his feelings for the pinkette. Twice he had the chance to be with other women, and twice he had declined the chance. He found himself with no desire to be with anyone else besides Sakura, and it scared the hell out of him. The kunoichi needed persuading usually but wouldn't complain if he slipped out before she awoke.

Vaguely he wondered if she preferred it that way.

He abruptly stopped her ministrations, opening his onyx eyes to take in her puzzled expression.

"I can't do this anymore," He told her quietly, pushing up off the bed, away from her.

She watched his retreating back with a feeling of confusion, "Oh and why's that?" He _had_ started it in the first place, bumping into her, after all.

"Because it's fucked up," He replied tersely, "It's not like you love me anymore."

"…" She blinked, confused. "I don't love you anymore…?" She stared at him, "Since when would that bother you?"

He kept his back turned as he spoke, "Since I began to feel this ardor towards you."

She froze, not knowing what to say, "Sasuke…"

"Go to sleep," He said vacantly, "The mission has to be executed tomorrow."

She frowned, turning away from him as well as she changed into her spandex shorts. If he wanted to shut her out, then fine. Two could play that game. Flicking off the lights and settling down in her own bed, she drifted off to sleep. She knew something was wrong the second she woke up and it was still pitch black out. The cheap hotel alarm clock read '3:26 am' in red block letters and she carefully tried to find the source of her sleeplessness.

Moments later, she located it.

Sasuke was muttering in his sleep, rustling almost unnoticeably. If she hadn't been a light sleeper to begin with, she doubted she would've woken up at all. Gingerly, she planted her feet on the floor and slipped over to his bedside. She leaned down to wake him but froze for a moment as his face contorted in a rarely seen emotion.

He sat up suddenly, grasping her outstretched hands by the wrists and slamming her down beside him onto the mattress. She looked up at him, a bemused expression on her face, both eyebrows raised. His obsidian depths still showed signs of a sleepy haze as he glared down at her before regaining his composure.

"What are you doing?" He asked harshly.

"Well, I was gonna be a nice person and wake you up from your…whatever the fuck _that_ was before you very rudely _grabbed_me. I guess I learned my lesson," She quipped, frowning up at him.

He let go, twisting back around and sitting up. After a moment, "I'm sorry."

She sat up, reaching out and touching his bare shoulder-blade. "What's up with you?" She asked calmly, "First you're all jealous in the brothel, I mean you could've just helped me out but there was the whole 'fuck off' thing that made it overly obvious. And then you rejected the idea of having sex with me because I supposedly don't love you anymore. I'm sorry but that isn't normal for you. You're the emotionless one. You just don't care. And now you say you feel something for me. What's going on?"

He didn't answer, didn't move.

A thousand thoughts were running through her mind as he turned slowly towards her, his deep opaque eyes watching her face, "I care about you."

She blinked, "What?"

He sighed, running his hands over his face and through his hair. "I fucking like you, okay?"

She gasped, shocked. "Since when?"

"Since recently."

"Then why do you keep pushing me away?"

"…"

"…"

"Because it's too fucking late."

"Oh, _wow. Please_, explain _that_ one to me."

"You," He emphasized, "Don't. Love. Me."

"Says you," She scoffed, hoisting herself out of his bed and into her own.

The room was quiet for a while as he contemplated that.

"What are you saying?"

"That you're completely witless," She replied, "Surely you have to be rather un-intelligent to think that a girl can just lose her feelings for someone. What the hell am I supposed to do with them, Sasuke? Recycle? They don't just go away."

"Then why were you so cold when I first returned? And why did our affair just seem so utterly convienient to you?"

"Wow. For a genius you really are stupid."

"Excuse me?"

"I was pissed off, Sasuke. You fucking left me on a bench. I still wanted you back, idiot."

"..."

"I still love you. Clear enough for you?"

"Aa."

Quietly, she turned over, facing the window as her brain processed what had just gone on. She didn't have enough time to figure it out before she felt the mattress dip behind her as he climbed in, his mouth leaning in to lay a deep kiss on the juncture of her neck where it met her collarbone.

She sighed as he leaned back into his chest.

_So this is what it's like when Uchiha Sasuke feels._

* * *

God damn. I don't know.

I think I'm like, failing miserably at writing lately. Let me know what you think.


	37. Party Time

**Party Time.**

_SasuSaku._

* * *

**LEMON. Like, graphic. ;) Full of citrusy goodness. Ish.**

* * *

_Disc: _Chhhyeahh righttt, if only I owned something this brilliant. You know, I'd really like some apple pie RIGHT NOW.

* * *

She frowned now, her pink ringlets bouncing with the angle of her head, staring at a spot just to the right of his face. She crossed her arms over her mint green tank top and narrowed her matching jade eyes.

Fucker thought he could question her actions? Psh, guess again.

"I don't need your approval to do what I want," She glanced angrily at his face before returning her vision to that one little spot on the wall.

"Stop acting like a child, and maybe no one will question you," He responded with a scowl, his eyes flashing dangerously.

His own hands were twitching dangerously and brushing against his dark wash blue jeans. His gut was unsettled, his insides shaking. He hated arguing with her but sometimes it was inevitable. He watched the annoyance and anger in her eyes grow and ran a twitching hand through his ebony hair, right through the colic, which bounced back naturally.

"Oh, I'm acting like a child? Hello, Mr. I-Throw-A-Temper-Tantrum-When-I-Don't-Get-What-I-Want," She hissed back, "You're the one that showed up here, at _my_ party."

His dark navy eyes glared a hole through the wall for a moment before he returned them to her face, "You mean this rave?"

She could hear his teeth grinding against each other, "It isn't a rave. It's a party. A high school party. A Kegger. Accept or leave. And don't bother me anymore."

Sasuke blinked, shocked as she pushed her way through the crowd and away from him. He stared after her, un-sure of what to do. Obviously his first approach had been the wrong one. Now that he thought about it, walking up to her and demanding she end the party now and stop being so immature was a little butt-faceish.

His sharp onyx eyes watched as she began to dance with Kiba, one of their friends, and a rabid drinker, especially touchy when he was high. Which he happened to be right now, as his hands were snaking from her waist lower.

A low growl built in Sasuke's throat as Kiba's right hand made it to the flesh of her thigh, and then moved back upwards as the music pounded on, this time slipping beneath the hem of her short, tight skirt.

He was walking towards the pair when her eyes shot open, connecting with his as her lips parted in a pant. He clenched his teeth. Sakura was his, damn it. His hands were shoving Kiba away from her before he could gain control and the tousled brunette looked up at Sasuke from his current position on the floor of Sakura's living room, which happened to be where they'd been dancing.

The music continued to drone on and couple all around the three smartly minded their own business, dancing as Sakura ripped her arm away from Sasuke's grasp and turned to glare at him.

"Ugh! What is your problem, Sasuke?!"

"Seriously, Uchiha," Kiba grumbled, standing up and frowning, dusting invisible dirt off of him.

"Stay away from her," The dark-haired boy hissed, moving to stand in front of Sakura.

"No! Maybe I don't want him to stay away."

Sasuke spun around, facing her and sneered, "You need to get a grip on reality. Is this what you want? Do you want to fucking push me away, Sakura? When this party is over, the real world will fade back in and I swear to _fucking_ Kami, I will shut you out."

The threat hung in the air, and Sakura looked thoughtful before a new burst of anger took over her being.

"How dare you threaten me, Sasuke! I'm not the one who's girlfriend caught them with a whore on their lap!"

"I told you," He growled, "She came after me and only deposited herself into my lap the moment you walked in. I wanted nothing to do with her."

"You wanted nothing to do with her?" Sakura scoffed, tears threatening to gather in her sparkling viridian eyes. "Everybody wants a piece of Karin."

"I didn't," He snarled, "I was content WITH YOU."

A shocked silence filled the room as the DJ paused the music. The lights turned on and all heads turned towards them, each and every one surprised with Uchiha Sasuke's confession. A single, patented Uchiha glare and the room became bustling and noisy once more, the lights flickering off and the dark haze filled with colored lights and loud music began again.

Sakura noticed Kiba had moved on to Ami, who was dancing heatedly up against him. She rolled her eyes, biting her lip. She didn't know if she could trust Sasuke- all of his previous girlfriends had labeled him gorgeous, good in bed, a really amazing kisser, but completely cold.

Sasuke had been anything but cold to her. Hell, they'd been together for the last two years and he'd even hinted he _loved_ her.

Her gaze twisted back up to his stoic face, his eyes locking with hers again. She was only a _little_ intoxicated…not to mention she'd smoked a bowl with Naruto and Neji twenty five minutes ago… Oh, who was she kidding? No one in their right mind (or their wrong mind?) wouldn't take Uchiha Sasuke back. She dove on the Uchiha, smashing her lips into his, and kissing him fiercely.

Unsurprisingly, he kissed back, hard, causing her to pull back after a few moments and take a deep breath. Their eyes locked again and Sakura felt the overwhelming urge to jump his bones right there on the dance floor but she stood her ground.

"I don't know what to say to you," She told him honestly.

He said nothing, just grabbed her hand and pulled, leading her up the stairs of her house and into her bedroom. Shikamaru and Ino were lying on Sakura's bed casually making out but one look from Sakura to Ino and the blonde giggled, tugging Shikamaru lazily out the door behind her. Sasuke slammed the piece of oak shut into its place and locked it easily behind him, pulling Sakura down onto the bed with him in one swift motion.

"You don't have to say anything," He told her, his hand slipping gently beneath her tank top, "All you have to do is scream my name."

His arrogance didn't throw her- Sasuke was usually this way when he was grumpy and horny at the same time, she just had to knock him down a peg or two most of the time. Making him beg was her favorite.

The top was pulled swiftly over her head, leaving her black lace bra in it's wake. She grinned and flipped them over so she was on top, slipping one hand under his shirt to rub little enticing circles on his hip bone, and leaning down to kiss him while she used the other to scratch his scalp playfully while running her fingers through his dark locks.

He groaned beneath her, breaking the kiss and leveling her with a firm glare. She smirked at him, dipping two fingers below the waistband of his jeans, making him clench his jaw anxiously.

She leaned down again, catching his lips once more before sliding her tongue along his jaw line in an easy movement. Her nimble fingers un-buttoned the jeans quickly, slipping her hand into them and under the cloth of his boxers. He groaned as her soft hand found him with its straightforward, placid caress, leaving him breathless for a long moment until she let go of his hair with the other hand to yank his jeans down farther.

He swallowed and regained his thought process, kicking his jeans off on his own before yanking her back down on top of him and then flipping over. He started attacking her velvety neck with his tongue, leaving blossoming purple marks on the creamy skin as he went.

She moaned, her eyes snapping open as he tugged off the lacy black fabric that confined her breasts, leaving them bare to endure his noxious kisses. Her high increased as he focused his attention on them.

Both of her hands were in his hair, tugging and scraping as he indulged himself in her. One slipped out, running its claws down his shoulder-blade. His eyes flickered up to her, head arched back, lips parted, a light sheen of sweat already forming on her brow.

She looked easily back down at him, cradling his head between her hands again for a moment before one fell away, and crept into his boxers again, finding him. He grunted, his toes curling and un-curling as she so eloquently pleased him, watching his face with a tranquil expression.

As he let himself go into her palm, his head drooped, landing easily in the crevice of her neck and collar bone, where he caught his breath and laid gentle kisses there. She giggled beneath him, her hand returning to his sight. Feeling serene, he gripped her hips and hoisted her farther up, causing her to yelp. He slid a hand up her skirt just as Kiba had done, scraping the edge of the fabric that resided there.

(And let me just say, there wasn't a lot of it.)

She arched into his palm, moist with desire. He smirked down at her, grasping the thin material and ripping it away, abandoning the sensitive skin for a moment before returning to it. Sakura hissed beneath his cool touch as he slid two fingers inside of her. His mouth met her own in a needy kiss while his index and middle finger moved, the other hand holding down her hips. She groaned, nibbling at his bottom lip.

He extracted the two digits, pulling away from her for a few moments as the textile of his own undergarments dropped away. She watched him lustfully as he reached for her nightstand, pulling a packaged square from its depth. (Practice _safe_ sex, kiddies.) After he'd slicked it on, he was back, warming her skin with his own again. He yanked the stretchy material of her skirt away before he met her lips in a kiss, entering her in the same moment.

Their kisses were heated and greedy as Sasuke set the pace of their horizontal mambo, Sakura's hands roaming his toned chest with indecision. The headboard hit the wall once, twice, three times… Sasuke pulled his face away from hers, resting forehead to forehead as he slowed before stopping entirely.

An unanswered question remained in her jade eyes as each tried to fill their lungs with oxygen.

"Sasuke?" She panted, her soft breath ghosting his nose.

"I'm sorry," He gasped, sucking in a breath, looking down at her. "I should've never let her get that close."

Sakura tittered, tilting her head and capturing his lips again before returning her forehead to his. "I love you."

He nodded, thrusting into her again, "I know."

The slick feel of skin on skin added to the friction they were causing together. He could hear the party going on downstairs over their own noises, and he groaned as she tightened considerably around him. She let out a low whimper as she rode her peak, and he let out a low guttural moan as well before giving in and letting himself climax.

Sasuke pulled away from her minutes later, moving into her attached bath to clean himself up. Sakura sighed, rolling off of her bed and moving over to her dresser to pull out a bra and another pair of panties- Sasuke had ripped hers clean off, and she didn't even bother searching for them to see if they were repairable.

After tugging on a pair of hip-hugging jean shorts and another camisole, she turned to Sasuke, who had gotten his pants on. She moved over to him silently, yanking his shirt off of the chair that sat next to her bed and wrapped her arms around his body, burying her nose in his chest.

His arms came around her, holding her close for a moment before their lips met in one more chaste kiss on the lips. She handed him the black fabric and his shirt was returned to it's original position. Sakura moved ahead of him and out of the bedroom to re-join all of her party guests and see how much damage had been done to her house in the last forty-five minutes while she was…_indisposed. _

Sasuke followed behind silently, his gut finally settled.

All was right again.

* * *

(Plus, they just had some awesome make-up sex, right? Haha.)

I haven't done a lemon in awhile and I thought I would cause I'm kinda rusty.

I don't know. What'd y'all think?!

Please. Review, lovelies. :)


	38. Because You're You, Idiot

**Because You're You.**

_SasuSaku._

I don't know if they're really in character.

**Disc:** Ay-oh, I really need to OWNNN thissss. (Hey, Kishimoto-senpai? Yeah. Uh, My birthday's coming up in two months….) Hehe. ;)

* * *

"Wait."

He didn't turn around, but he stopped, halting in the field before me. He said nothing as I fought to re-gain control of my thought process, I had no idea what to do. Should I be angry? Attack with precision and bring him down?

Some how I knew I wouldn't be getting away with that. He'd hand my ass to me in a soup cup. I could probably bring him down a notch or two, though.

I took a step forward, my eyes narrowed on his broad back.

"What are you so afraid of, Sasuke-_kun_?"

He was gone from in front of me and I was being smashed up against a tree seconds later. This time though, I had planned on that action and bit my smirk down.

"I'm not afraid of _anything_, Sakura," He hissed into my ear, his katana pushing against my abdomen in a threat.

"Do it," I coaxed, as his head tipped back so he could see my face, "Kill me, Sasuke."

He didn't move, just looked at me, onyx eyes staring deep down into my own jade depths. "Why? It's pointless."

"Is it?" I asked easily, keeping my calm as the katana pressed a little harder into my ribs, "I'm going to give you a hard time, Kill me."

He just looked down at me, emotionless. "That would be a complete waste of motion."

Sighing, I held his gaze and yanked my fist upward in a quick, choppy motion. It hit to my own surprise and smashed heartily into his abdomen. His own eyes widened a fraction of an inch and he jumped back easily, despite the fact that I knew I had cracked a few of his ribs.

He came forward at me and swung his katana down, missing my arm by inches. I kicked off the ground and sprung at him, knocking him backwards a few feet and twisted, landing neatly on the ground. He frowned at me, his eyes glaring holes into me. I laughed.

He attacked.

I did a few back springs to gain distance before I turned abruptly and smashed my fist into the side of his jaw. He staggered back as his eyes turned from obsidian to a deep scarlet.

"Still a waste of motion?" I asked, smiling lightly.

He brought his hand up and wiped the blood from his lips.

"What is it that you want?" He asked suddenly, totally taking me off guard.

I raised my eyebrows, blinking. "What did you say?"

He didn't repeat himself, just looked at me, sharingan spinning evenly.

"I…don't know," I admitted, fixing my eyes on his mouth. "But you _will_ see me as an equal by the time this is over," I said finally.

He disregarded my last sentence entirely as he turned away from me and began to walk away again. He sheathed his katana and shut down his sharingan, his whole chakra signature returning to blank.

"Don't," I warned him quietly.

He continued to step in the opposite direction. I frowned, forming hand signs quickly and whispered the words carefully.

Whipping up behind him, I brought my heel down, intending to nail him in the skull, but he twisted away and it cracked into his shoulder. Frowning, he dragged his katana from it's sheath again, his eyes changing back to crimson and flickered, grasping me by my top and slamming me into yet another tree as he dragged his katana down my leg. I hissed in pain, but the chakra already began to mend the skin together. He stopped, watching it curiously.

I brought my hand up and tucked a stray piece of cerise hair behind my ear before I raised my hand to his jaw, calling green chakra to my palm. He veered away but I used my other hand to drag him back and touched his jaw gently.

His eyes faded to black as he watched me passively until I had healed all the wounds I had created on his body.

"Why did you do that?" He asked quietly, looking at my face.

"Because…" I said, "You're Sasuke."

He looked slightly taken-aback, but he didn't move, his hands still hanging limply at his sides, one holding tightly onto his katana. One of my hands was still on his shirt, holding on and the other was sitting gently on his shoulder- the last wound I'd healed.

He grunted, catching my attention. He sheathed his katana and his hand grasped the back of my neck, tipping my head up to his.

And then he kissed me.

After a few minutes of shock, I gingerly began to respond. It got intense as he tightened his grip on my neck and his other hand perched itself on my hip, grasping it tightly.

We pulled away after a few more moments for much-needed breath.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, panting slightly.

"Because," He told me, "You're Sakura."


	39. Kick Ass: The Chase

**Kick Ass: The Chase**

_This one's short._

_Disc:_ I don't own NARUTO...yet. Fwahaha. I'm a klepto-maniac. TRY AND STOP ME FROM SNATCHING!

* * *

She ran, pumping chakra into her tired legs. She bit back a hiss of pain when a tree branch sliced into her calf, leaving a deep laceration.

Finally, she reached the clearing where the jounin had been resting only hours before. She jumped down from the tree branches, landing in the space. There was nothing. She swallowed a desperate wail, and the tingling sensation she always got when she knew something bad was going to happen. Sasuke was coming.

She took off running in the direction of Konoha, calculating the time it would take for her to reach it and what she'd have to do in order to not get caught. She had less than half of her regular chakra reserves left, and her body was over-tired, running on pure adrenaline.

Her eyes widened as a flash of silver sliced down beside her. She knew he was trying to coralle her back to the cave and she sprung herself over the katana, continuing in the direction she wanted to go in.

"Sakura," He hissed, his hand encircling her wrist and yanking harshly on it, causing her to stumble back.

She yanked her wrist from his grasp, glaring. "Get the hell away from me, I earned my freedom!"

"You earned nothing," He responded tonelessly.

"Really. I don't have to do a damn thing you say, Uchiha."

"Do you want to live?" A shiver went down her spine, his voice was flat, and yet, somehow still threatening.

She inhaled a shaky breath, "Fuck. You."

As quickly as she could, she sped in the direction of her village. Sasuke was of course right behind her and she could hear the sound of his blade slicing through the air. "NARUTO!"

Her screech echoed through the tree-tops as she desperately twisted to avoid his katana.

"He may be the Kyuubi," Sasuke sighed, his tone dead, "But he still can't hear you at this distance, Sakura."

"Shut up."

He said nothing, lunging at her. She side-stepped, bringing her hand up and catching him in the side of the face. He stepped back away from her, momentarily stunned and she took the advantage and raced off again. Behind her, his aura changed from dark and swirling to dark and severely pissed off.

She found herself skidding across the gravel as Sasuke tackled her none-too-gently from behind. "Why can't you just let me go?"

"I told you."

"What? You get to run away and I don't? Hypocritical much?"

He stopped for a moment, and then yanked her upwards so they were both standing, "I never run."

"Oh, really? Cause you ran from Konoha. You ran from Naruto. You ran from Itachi," She ignored the way his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Sorry honey. I think that qualifies as running."

He growled, deep in his throat and dragged her closer to him, his hot breath right in her face, "Don't think you know anything about me, _Sakura_," He hissed, "Because you know nothing. You're still the same weak, annoying little girl I had to protect back in Konoha."

She let out a bark of laughter and his grip tightened, "If I'm still so weak and annoying, why won't you let me go?"

Startled, Sasuke looked down at her, confusion lacing his features before it faded away and his cold mask slid back into place. He glared viciously at her, changed his grip to her wrist and yanked her harshly in the opposite direction. "Run again and I'll kill you."

He yanked again, causing her to stumble.

Why did anything pertaining to Uchiha Sasuke always make her clumsy? No regular ninja would've caught her at this stage, and she knew very well she could activate her own forbidden jutsu and get away.

Yet, she couldn't convince herself to do it.

She was afraid. She was afraid that if she did get away from him that by the time she brought a team back, he'd be long gone again, lost to the wind. Naruto would yet again be disappointed, hurt, upset, torn apart and feel like he had re-broken the promise he made. She didn't want to see the look on the blonde's face. She despised the look, she'd rather slide down a banaster of razor blades and land in a pool of alcohol than see it.

She hated being around him every time they lost the avenger. He would mope, and sometimes get drunk and cry. And it killed her that Sasuke could still do this to him, to her, to them both after all the time they had spent apart. But nothing could drown Naruto's hope that Sasuke would come back, or that they would find him and convince him to return to them.

_Nothing_. Not even _she_ could shut down the prospect.

_She had tried once, and he had backed away from her as if she was an enemy, his ocean blue eyes wide with dis-belief and betrayal, as if she had been the one defecting from her village._

_"How could you even suggest that, Sakura?"_

Her heart had thumped wildly in her chest at the absence of the -chan.

_"How could you even think of letting him disappear?"_

Abruptly, a harsh realization hit her. She _wanted _to stay. She wanted to, but was torn by the duties she had to her village. She wanted to stay for Naruto, she wanted to stay for herself and she wanted to stay for Sasuke. Even if his reasons for aquiring her forcefully weren't the ones she had desperately hoped for all her life. He didn't love her, she figured as much, but her love and Naruto's love for the dark-haired man was still there. Hers was buried beneath old pain, but she could feel it growing restless. She needed to go, but she wanted to stay. She wanted to be there by his side, she wanted to heal him when he was hurt. She wanted him to let her in.

Angrily, she ripped her wrist from his grasp and began stomping back towards the cave, subtley dropping an engraved shuriken (that Kakashi-sensei had given to her last Christmas) to the forest floor. She took a deep breath and moved forward.

Sakura had faith in those she loved, Naruto would find it and he would find her.

And together, they would kick Sasuke's stubborn ass and drag him back home.

When they reached the base, Sasuke had retreated into the back inner-workings of the cave. Sakura noticed Suigetsu and Juugo still sitting in the same positions she had left them in.

"Told ya not to run, kitten," Suigetsu said to her with a slight grin, "Next time you'll probably get spanked."

"I still have 50 percent of my chakra," She hissed, glaring at him, silencing him. "It may not have been enough to kick Sasuke's ass like I should have done in the first place, but it's definitely enough to kick yours, Sparky."

"Ooh," Suigetsu murmured to Juugo, taking a gulp of his water, "Watch out. She bites. I wonder if she'll lick my wounds, too?" Sakura smacked him in the back of the head.

"Where's the redhead?" She asked, finally noticing the absence of the girl.

"He left her in the clearing," Juugo responded calmly, closing his eyes to meditate.

Sakura winced. Maybe Sasuke was colder than she thought? Maybe he really didn't give a damn. But then why hadn't he answered her question? Why wouldn't he let her go?

Damn Uchiha Sasuke, and damn the questions he left her with.


	40. Once

_Once._

_NaruSakuSasu._

**LEMON. THREESOME. **

_Disc: _So I like threesomes. Bite me. If I owned these guys, well…there'd be a lot more rated-R material and it would _so_ not be suitable for Cartoon Network.

* * *

Cerulean blue eyes watch the fight between two of the people he cares the most about. They fight with such clarity, even he can see, and it pains him to know that they don't realize how much they need each other.

The pink-haired female raises her small sword gracefully, bringing it down in an even precise arc. Her opponent lazily uses substitution, thinking it will be easy to catch her off guard, but it is not. She side sweeps to the left knowing what he has planned, twisting backwards and executing three perfect back handsprings, successfully getting herself out of range for his attacks and impressing him.

Though, he will never, _ever_ admit it.

The look on his face never once betrays his thoughts, it just continues the show her the blank façade that he forces to remain dominant. He charges her again and she flippantly avoids his attacks, actually managing to clip him with her broad sword twice.

And when they are done, both still standing, and both breathing heavily, he doesn't once verbalize how she has surprised him with her strength, and her ability to defend herself.

"You're ridiculous," She finally says, wiping sweat off of her brow with a calm motion. Inside, she is raging, ready to kill the first person to step close enough.

He doesn't reply, only turns away, his eyes catching the third part of their trio in the trees. She brushes past him forcefully, bending and grasping the green towel on the ground, along with a water bottle. After gulping a good amount of it down, she peels her damp hair off the back of her sweat drenched neck and ties it into a messy ponytail, vaguely noting that it should be cut again. After placing the towel around her now bare neck, she turns back to him again.

He is still standing there, staring motionlessly into the trees.

"Whatever," She frowns, looking up to the sky. Hopefully it will rain because she will not cry, "I'm done with these endeavors. I'm not enough, I never am. You're so desolate, so fucking empty. Next time we fight, I won't hold back."

And with that, she walks away, leaving the dark-haired male to contemplate her words. His blank face folds into itself in a dark frown, she has kicked his ego.

Naruto jumps down from his perch, a scowl on his normally enthusiastic face. "Don't lie to me and tell me she isn't good, she's better than good, hell, she can kick both of our asses. Fairly. Living is hard enough without you fucking it up."

"I didn't fuck anything up," Sasuke hisses back, turning around, "She decided to be a bitch because I didn't congratulate her on her skills. We're not little kids anymore."

"She didn't want your congrats, idiot." Sasuke wonders why Naruto seems so much more adult-like. Shouldn't he be the one calling him an idiot? "She wanted you to openly accept that she is your equal, when in reality, she's your superior."

"How is that? Enlighten me."

"She's ANBU second in command," Naruto snarls back, eyes dark. "And even the captain admits that she is his equal."

"Who's captain?"

Naruto sighs, his rage has deflated like a popped balloon. "Hyuuga Neji." Sasuke's eyes have narrowed now, his stance is defensive. "If you want in, you have to earn it, teme."

"Shut up, Dobe."

Naruto only shakes his head, "She's coming over to my place later."

"So?"

Another sigh is emitted from the blonde as he begins to walk away from Sasuke, "She's sleeping over," Naruto hints, almost rolling his eyes, "If you want, you can too."

Sasuke finally understands what he's getting himself into, but agrees anyway. The night will be an interesting event, to say the least. It comes too fast for his liking and soon, he's walking down the road towards Naruto's apartment. As he passes her house, she comes down the stairs, her eyes cast downwards, she doesn't see him.

"Sakura."

Her head comes up so fast, he's sure she's given herself whiplash, but her eyes meet his blankly. "What?"

"Hn."

They continue walking down the street, and Sakura turns on Naruto's pathway. There's a moment where the fleeting expression of shock rains down on her face to feel him follow her up the steps, but it's gone in an instant and she's ringing the bell.

They stand there awkwardly for a good five minutes before Sakura gets fed up and walks right in, blinking suspiciously- Naruto usually has something out for dinner that's not ramen (it being her only request) and there's nothing on the counter. She frowns and walks past Sasuke and into Naruto's room, where she hears the shower going.

Sasuke's right behind her as she pushes the bathroom door open quietly.

"BAKA!" She screeches loudly after a moment and something is dropped in the shower, followed by a moan of pain.

"Aw, Sakura-channnn," Naruto gurgles as she sticks her head behind the curtain, observing his strewn out figure in the bottom of the tub, "That's not nice."

She chuckles, ignoring Sasuke, who's standing in the doorway, watching her talk un-abashedly to a naked Naruto in the shower. "Why's there nothing out for dinner?"

He blinks up at her, surprised. "I forgot?"

"You never forget," She responds, looking down at him apprehensively.

"I…"

"C'mon, Baka," she sighs, reaching over to the towel rack and grasping a towel off. "You have a visitor."

"Hn," Sasuke answers carelessly.

Naruto doesn't look fazed, and Sakura is starting to understand, but she says nothing. As Naruto peels back the curtain, revealing his body, slick with water to the two pairs of eyes, Sasuke wonders if he's chosen the right thing.

A rubber ducky is thrown at Sasuke's head, "If you're going to stare, you could at least show some expression," Naruto tells him giddily.

Sasuke snaps his head away, embarrassed that he was staring; he hadn't even noticed he was doing it.

"Here, idiot," Sakura mutters holding out the towel, "Sasuke probably doesn't want to any more traumatized than he already is."

Sasuke turns back to the pair, and narrows his eyes at her, still very aware that Naruto has yet to take the towel. She hasn't been very nice to him since that afternoon, dealing him low blows to the ego. She's already insinuated that Orochimaru's traumatized him and that she held back during their match…she's obviously a different person. The genin he once knew would never aim to piss him off; no that one begged for his attention. He isn't used to the girl--no woman-- she is now.

To make it worse, she glares at him suddenly, "What are you _doing _here, anyway?

"I'm sorry." The room is silent and Sakura's staring at him in surprise.

"Uhh…for the fact that your hair looks like a chicken's ass?" Naruto asks.

He's about to snap back a retort when Sakura smacks her forehead. Naruto chuckles awkwardly and grabs the towel- but they've already seen what he's trying to cover up. Sasuke rolls his eyes and walks away from the scene, waiting to hear Naruto get the beating of his life. But the farther he gets away, the more he's sure he's not hearing a thing.

When he moves back across the room, he's surprised to find his teammates tangled up in each other. Sakura's on the bottom, Naruto's barely covered form moving sensually over hers. The blonde's lips are on hers and the pinkette's hands are running through his wet locks.

Sasuke watches for a moment before he takes a horrified step backwards: his body is reacting to his vision without his consent. Unfortunately, he steps on the rubber ducky that has been thrown at him earlier, sending a resounding squeak through out the area.

Naruto and Sakura break apart panting, both turning to look at him. He says nothing, just keeps his body angled away from them awkwardly. Naruto begins to chuckle and Sakura joins him.

"Do you want in?"

Sasuke is surprised that the voice isn't Naruto's, it belongs to Sakura. He blinks at her, confused. Only three minutes ago, she was acting hostile towards him. The twinkle in her eyes tells him that she understands what he's apologized for.

"Come on, teme."

Naruto and Sakura are standing now, and Naruto's towel is slipping dangerously low. Sakura plops herself down on Naruto's large bed, watching the two boys with interest.

Hesitantly, Sasuke opens his mouth, only to find that it's being occupied by Naruto's tongue. For a moment he's repulsed, and then suddenly it's a lot better than he's imagined. …Not that he's admitting to have imagined it. They end up sprawled out next to Sakura, both fighting for dominance within each other.

"Ahem."

Naruto pulls away from Sasuke, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry, Sakura-chan."

"You kiss just like you fight," She tells them, calmly. Naruto isn't sure what she means and she has to explain herself, "You're more fight-kissing than just kissing."

Naruto cocks his head to the side, ready to ask again but Sasuke whacks him on the back of the head. The blonde turns around, ready to pounce, but Sakura pulls him back and he lands half in her lap, and half on Sasuke's, loosing the towel. Sakura leans down and kisses him. Naruto's panting again when she pulls away, and his eyes find Sasuke's.

Before he can do a thing, Naruto has successfully pounced on him, kissing him violently. A reverberating 'SLAP' rings through their ears and Sasuke realizes that Sakura has just sent her hand flying playfully across Naruto's exposed rump. Naruto jumps and turns on Sakura.

Sasuke watches as Naruto pulls her shirt off easily and kisses his way down her chest, his thumb sliding under her bra. The pinkette just arches her head back as her hand disappears between them.

Naruto makes a strangled noise and Sasuke bites down hard on his lip, trying not to fidget. Sakura's eyes are open now, and watching Sasuke, and he can't tear his gaze away. She nods for him to join in but he's frozen- and she whispers in Naruto's ear. Said boy's hand shoots out, grasping Sasuke by the shirt and yanking him towards the pair.

Sakura and Naruto are both caressing him now, and he can't control his own limbs. When he finally kisses Sakura- she notices the contrast between the two boys. Sasuke is surprisingly gentle, though darker and more combative. Naruto is energetic, more experienced and eager. She is surprised when the dark boy beneath her ministrations lets out a low groan.

Naruto is un-zipping Sasuke's jeans and nods to Sakura, encouraging her to keep distracting the boy. She leans down and continues and he watches out of the corner of his blue eyes as her hand drifts up underneath the hem of his shirt- something that makes him crazy himself.

It isn't long before all three of them are exposed to each other, and though Naruto and Sakura have been together this way many times before, they inspect each other as if they've never seen each other as well. Sasuke is surprised to find that Naruto only has six scars, and no others on his body. He chalks it up to the Kyuubi's chakra- the boy's been stabbed so many times, it'd be completely supernatural for him not to have any scars were he normal.

Sasuke is deathly pale. Sakura thinks its as if he's never seen sunlight, ever. She inwardly vows she will get him a nice tan to go with his nice defined abdominals. He has a long scar across his shoulder blades, ending in an arc right above his lower back. His hands are calloused, and in his eyes spark an emotion Naruto is sure Sasuke's never felt before.

Almost in unison, both sets of male eyes are on Sakura. She is not bashful, after she hit puberty, the timid feeling dissipated along with her vapid body. She is now a woman, and proud of it.

Sasuke's eyes trace her form, going from her the tips of her cerise locks down over her collar bone, her shoulders, the soft curve of her breasts, her flat tummy, her hips, the hint of dark magenta hair, down her toned legs and to her toes. Naruto's eyes however, remain on her face. Her button nose, her intense jade eyes, her perfect mouth.

And then everyone is touching someone, Sakura's hand has found Naruto again, while her other hand is curled in Sasuke's dark locks. Sasuke's hands are both on Sakura, touching her velvety skin, and Naruto's are on Sasuke.

It's when Sasuke ventures lower and he gets a rise out of the woman beneath him that gives him self-assurance. He penetrates her with one finger, then two, feeling more confident by the minute. Naruto smirks down, knowing Sasuke's sudden sureness will be short lived, as he in turn does the same to the dark haired boy.

Sakura watches as Sasuke stills above her, his eyes closed, his face completely frozen. She is almost glad that Naruto will be his first, that Orochimaru never violated him. His head drops to her shoulder, and she can see Naruto now. Cerulean and viridian meet, and Sasuke bites down on her. His fingers slip out of her warmth, and Sakura's hands appear on his face, bringing him up to her.

"Ride it out," she tells him quietly, and he says nothing until she tilts her hips enough for his hardness to get a taste of her.

"Fuck," He mumbles, and Naruto stills inside of him as Sakura repositions herself beneath him. Naruto shoves forward and Sasuke is pushed inside of the pinkette, who gasps even though she had been expecting it.

Together, she and Naruto bring him to his peak and let him rest, finishing off with each other. As Sakura slides into oblivion and Naruto lets out a loud groan, Sasuke is wondering what the hell he's going to do. Sakura's head is now sprawled out on his chest, and Naruto is on his other side, cold nose nestled into his shoulder.

He is hooked on them- once was all it took.

He's glad they dragged him back.

He's damn glad, because they are the only ones who can make him feel.

* * *

I'm on a lemon roll lately. I don't know. Threesomes are hot unless they involve incest, Orochimaru or rape. The creepy thing about Orochimaru (besides EVERYTHING), would be that he'd be hot if a) he wasn't snake-like b) he had a gag-reflex, cause damn is that creepy c) he wasn't a pedophile.

Chhyeah. If I wrote evil, that'd mean Itachi, Deidara, and Pein aren't hot, and they are. So…yeah.

:D


	41. Mask

_**Mask.**_

_A/N: This is before Sasuke killed off Orochimaru. _

_Disc: Is not mine. Durrr. ;)__

* * *

_They dragged her down the stairs, laughing as her head slammed into each step. She no longer cried out- just groaned. Blood was pooling in her blonde locks, matting into them as they yanked her into the cell and dropped her onto the floor.

The first male shoved his hand inside his pocket and produced a grubby looking rag. The blonde, dirty and a bit bloody now, twisted away as he lunged for her.

"Come here, pretty-pretty," He teased, wiggling a finger in her direction.

"Fuck you," She hissed back, eyes hard.

"Gladly," He smiled, a perverted twinkle in his eyes as he reached for her again.

She slammed an un-bound foot into his ribs and he yowled in pain. The second male grasped her legs and tied them together and she tried to buck away as the first male shoved the rag in her mouth creating a gag. Her muffled curses only served to make them laugh and the first male kicked her in the ribs, like she had done to him. He growled a few venomous, provoking words at her and then the cell door creaked shut, all was dark.

The first thing she did was listen. All she heard though, was water dripping.

_Drip._

_Drop._

_Drip._

_Drop._

She knew that if she could survive everything else, it would be the little annoying noise that would make her crazy. The constant drip drop that would bring her back to reality instead of letting her strengthen her sanity in dreamland.

The next thing she needed was to get the gag out of her mouth. It was vile and dirty and she wanted nothing more than to burn it. Carefully, she twisted onto her butt in a sitting position and relaxed her arm muscles. She pushed her arms forward and pulled them out from behind her feet, binds and all. Next, she brought her tied hands up to her hair and produced the only bobby pin that had survived the ambush. After removing the small rubber parts on the ends, she twisted it in her hands and started to saw at the ropes.

She smiled mentally at the fact that her chakra had been so low that they hadn't bothered to put chakra binds on her. Ordinary street girl with little chakra? Hell no!

With her perfect precision, they came apart easily and slid from her hands. She reached behind her head and untied the gag, spitting it out and looking down at it scornfully.

"Yuck," She muttered, and then proceeded to rub her sore ribs for a moment.

The only binds left were the ones around her ankles. After untying them, she pulled at the rope to test its durability and then tossed it to the side as she stood, noting to use it later. She shoved the bobby pin back in her hair as she scanned the cell, calculating escape routes.

Although she had been dragged roughly down several corridors, she had been trying to pay attention. She had counted seven hallways, two sets of stairs (ouch.), they had turned right three times and left four.

So all she needed to do was get out and she was home free. Well, maybe. This _was_ a Sound base after all. Just because they didn't know who she was didn't mean they weren't going to find out. Dusting herself off, she rolled her shoulders and then sat gingerly in the middle of the cell, meditative position. She was going to have to get some of her chakra back if she wanted to heal her (still-bleeding) head wound and get the hell out of there.

She shut down all of her emotions as she took a deep breath. Nothing was allowed to be thought about from now on- she was looking out of blue eyes now. She wasn't herself anymore.

She wasn't herself _at all_.

* * *

He moved gracefully down the corridors, not really thinking much about anything except his current annoyance. Orochimaru had summoned him again, and he was sure it was just for the snake's own reasons, not training. It was particularly irritating to be called constantly when he'd made it perfectly clear training was the only reason he was still there. He made sure Orochimaru knew that he appeared when it pleased him to do so, and not otherwise. He had no loyalty to Orochimaru- his only loyalty (or so he liked to tell himself) was to the power. The power that would help him defeat the brother he had once loved more than anything else.

He turned another corner and slipped down the stairs, only to be stopped by a stone wall with a notice pasted on informing all who wanted to take the particular passage that it was under repair and deemed unsafe to go through. He would have to go through the dungeons to get to Orochimaru's ridiculous throne room.

The snake-bastard wasn't a king; Sasuke saw no reason for him to have a throne room. Plus, the entire place was bare. The room was like the mess hall except empty save the stupid 'throne'.

Fuming silently, and once again berating himself for accepting the bastard's offer, he turned again and moved swiftly down the stairs through several hallways. Finally, he reached the dungeons. He hated them- they stank like death and blood, and there was usually prisoners howling when he went by.

Today though, there were only whispers. His face remained completely blank as he moved through the main-open cells and into the deep part of the dungeons, where the closed cells were. Immediately, he heard the deep banging sounds that echoed off the dank area. His eyes found a door about twenty feet away from him that was being dented from the inside. Deciding he really didn't give a damn whether one of Orochimaru's prisoner's escaped or not, he started on his way again, only to have the door fly across the room and smash into the rock wall across from it. Seconds later, a blonde girl emerged.

He blinked, noting her size and then the two ton steel door lying several feet away. Her eyes snapped to him for a moment and she froze. He regarded her carefully, her familiarity was biting at him.

She looked at him for another moment before she took off running in the opposite direction and out of sight. He shook his head and moved steadily towards the door at the other end of the corridor that she had gone through- he needed to go that way.

He followed the twisted passage for awhile until he could see the throne room door, and it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. The girl was the Yamanaka kunoichi…Ino? Yes, he was sure that Ino was her name. He frowned bitterly at the memories of her rubbing herself all over him- why did no one in Konoha understand that he didn't like to be touched by strangers?

He wondered idly why no one had put chakra binds on her and then he closed off all of his thoughts as he shoved the door open and stepped inside.

He could see the sannin draped comfortably over the gigantic chair, his head of dark locks spilling back over his shoulders. Sasuke suppressed a shudder- the man was creepy as hell.

"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru cooed, the S's sliding out of his mouth, "Come closer." Rolling his dark eyes, the Uchiha stepped forward into the dim light. Orochimaru tilted his head curiously at Sasuke before moving into a regular position in his chair. "I have a present for you."

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kun, please," Orochimaru frowned, "I think you'll enjoy this one."

"If it relates to my training."

"There's more to life than training, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru sighed, his eyes twinkling. "How do you feel about blondes?"

Immediately, Sasuke's mind thought of the kunoichi.

"Hn."

"Well. We've captured one on the edge of the forest. She had very little chakra, so we assume she's just a villager. She's very feisty, though I'm sure you could tone her down a bit," Sasuke surpressed another cringe when the snake had the gall to wink at him, "If you put your…_head_ into it."

_Disgusting dirty creepy old perverted snake-bastard freak._

"She got out."

"Excuse me?"

"She ran down the hallway a little while ago after busting the door off of her cell."

"Why didn't you stop her if you knew she was a prisoner?" Orochimaru asked in an irritated tone.

"Wasn't my problem," Sasuke responded easily.

The sannin sighed again, "Very well. Kabuto! It seems Sasuke-kun's present is wandering the halls of our humble abode. When you catch her, deposit her in Sasuke-kun's quarters, please. And put some chakra drainers on that girl."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama."

"No."

"What's that, Sasuke-kun?"

"I don't want her."

"Why not?" Orochimaru demanded.

"I'm here to train."

"I told you," Orochimaru said warily, "Not everything is about training Sasuke-kun. If nothing else, use her to take off some steam."

"I don't want her," Sasuke repeated.

"I have no where else to go with her," Orochimaru replied.

"I don't care."

"Sasuke-kun, don't be selfish."

"I said I don't want her."

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto reappeared, looking panicked. "She's made it all the way to the outer levels. A few of the jounin have her cornered but she's been defeating them easily. Her chakra levels have spiked tremendously."

"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru addressed him, "Please go and fetch her?"

It took everything in Sasuke for the vein in his forehead not to pop out, "I'm not a dog."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. But really now, Sasuke-kun. If she breaks the entire base, I'll have my hands full with rebuilding it and I won't be able to train you. And if she calls enough attention to our location, we're going to have to evacuate. Please go and stop her for me? It would be in your best interests, I assure you."

* * *

Stupid mission. She wondered to herself at that very moment how she could've been so naïve. Leaving with so little chakra put her at risk, and she figured that out first hand. The only thing she could maintain was her transformation, which was shaky in itself. She hadn't thought it through very well either- transforming into the first person she thought of. And that person happened to have been Ino.

With all of the male nin around here, it probably would've been smarter to transform into somebody who was really ugly. Or at least plain looking. With Ino's stupid long blonde hair, she still stuck out like a sore thumb.

She slammed one last chakra infused fist into the nin's chest, not bothering to watch as the blood dripped from his lips while he dropped dead at her feet before she turned around and raised a fist to smash it into the rock wall behind her. It crumbled, and she ran through, another fist raised to smash the next wall.

Unfortunately, she felt another daring chakra approach and spun around, aiming for a head. Her fist came crashing down through the dust that was clearing only to be stopped by another hand. It wrapped around her fist and yanked, sending her flying back through the first wall.

Angry now, and positive that she had felt bones in the offending hand break, she stood to get a look at her opponent. Her heart dropped to the balls of her feet when she met the face of Uchiha Sasuke.

His façade was in place, but she could tell his hand was in pain by the way in was pulled into his stomach. He looked pissed. She removed her eyes from his, now once again aware of his genjutsu abilities.

She needed to get out of the base. And now he was in her way.

She moved towards him with a strong resolve, avoiding the swipe of his katana. In the end, she had nicked him twice, and two other nin had jumped in, making it three against one. She could see that Sasuke was fuming and he barked at the nin to back off. They didn't though, and she could tell that they would die for it later. The two charged her from the front and the sick, queasy feeling in her stomach told her that Sasuke was probably going to appear behind her and try to knock her unconscious.

"No!"

She was right. She spun, kicking out and smashing one ninja into the other. Sasuke looked a little shocked. She took a chance, and ran for the last wall, fist ready. Once again, Sasuke reappeared right in front of her, looking like he was ready to take the killing blow she was about to deliver into the wall, and a look of complete horror crossed her face as she tried to pull back.

It was this move

(**mercy**--)

that cost

(_stole_--)

her freedom.

* * *

He was surprised, she had put up a good fight. A very good fight. Her skills had astounded him, and he was surprised that she had been that good. As far as he remembered, Yamanaka Ino had been just another fangirl...not _this. _He looked at her form, which was lying disheveled on the couch that was in his quarters. She still lay the way he had dropped her.

He was still really confused. First, when she had seen him in the hall, she had frozen up, as if he was someone significant to her- like she had been seeing him for the first time in awhile. He doubted that the Yamanaka, after so much time would still be crushing on him. He hadn't known her that well when he lived in the village and he didn't know her now, or plan to. But from what he did know- she was a gigantic flirt. There was no way she'd still be thinking of him.

So why had she acted the way she did?

And then when they had fought. First, when he had appeared behind her to hit her pressure point- she had screamed 'No!' as if it wasn't the first time it had happened. And when he moved in front of her attack on the wall, she had pulled back, instead of killing him. He also doubted that the Yamanaka would really care if he was dead or alive- he was a defect! He betrayed her village. So what was causing this odd behavior?

Lately, his mind had been toying with the idea of just leaving Orochimaru. It was painfully obvious the snake sannin had nothing more to teach him and was just biding his time until the body-swap. He thought back for a moment to when Naruto and Sakura had come looking for him. His resistance, his cold demeanor had all been a lie. A good one at that. Uchiha Sasuke had always been a pretty decent actor...

Sighing, he got ready for bed and was disturbed when there was a slight spike in her chakra. It went down again immediately, and he almost thought she was dead. He approached the body uninterestedly, and leaned down. She was still breathing… but wait.

What was going on with her head?

His eyes bled red and he pulled away from her with a frown.

The roots of her hair were slowly changing from white blonde to cotton candy pink. And then when the strands of her hair started bleeding into the rare color as well, his face _almost_ contorted in an emotion.

_Almost._

Her body shifted slowly and she turned towards him, her eyes hazy.

…Her eyes.

They weren't sky blue anymore. They were green. A vivid shade of jade.

And he was usually so good

(_perfect_--)

at hiding all of his emotions

(keeping them _**safe**_--)

so good, that it was really strange

(so utterly _puzzling_--)

as to why he just could not

(_would _not--)

slow the erratic beating of the ice sickle

(heart--)

in his chest.

Unwillingly, his breath caught in his throat and three words formed into his mind. The first two: _'Holy shit.'_

And the third:

'_Sakura.'_

* * *

When her sight finally focused, she was surprised to find Sasuke standing over her, looking like his usual stony-self. She decided to play it off as a coincidence and act like the smart mouth captive she was supposed to be, biting down on the voice in her mind that screamed at her hug him.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She hissed. He turned away from her, silent. "Oh come on," She urged, "At least let me see if your voice is as pretty as your face."

"Sakura."

Her eyes widened and her heart clenched, "What did you say?"

"Your control over the henge dissipated."

She could feel the bile rising in her belly and decided she should probably keep her mouth shut tightly. Unfortunately, the bitter part of her heart disagreed with her, "_Miss_ me?"

He turned back to her and she instantly regretted speaking at all as her eyes glazed over.

Her mask

(the shards of her broken heart--)

was not

(oh, no, **no**--)

the only

(it can_not be_--)

one that

(its completely _**impossible**_--)

had slipped.

(**Shattered**, _fell_, disappeared, **broken**, _cracked_, vanished.)

He looked back at her with cloudy, hurtful obsidian eyes.

**There was not a mask in sight.**


	42. Her

_Disc:_ Yeahhh. It's been awhile & still I do not own. Waah.

* * *

_**You want her.**_

He takes two steps forward, looking slightly flustered, which is a miracle in itself. He's never flustered, never thrown, never a hair out of place. His hands are always still, his pants never show a crease. His eyes don't show emotion, they just don't and they never have…until today. His arms cross over his chest, then uncross and cross again. He is fighting this nostalgia within him.

Eyes of dark obsidian slip towards the ramen stand and roam over the flags hanging down off the shade. His nose wrinkles as he steps forward and the smell of ramen overtakes his nose. She is sitting on a stool, strong legs hanging down. Her back is to him and he sighs, he wishes he could shut it away, like he has everything else.

He enters the stand quietly, hands at his sides, eyes on her. He wants her more than anything he's wanted for himself lately, including his revenge. It's almost unbearable. Another step, another, another. Their teammate sits next to her, face basically in the bowl. The obnoxious sounds of him eating echo through the stand.

He remembers their last mission together, placed on a two-man team to play the part of husband and wife. Sleeping in the same bed, sharing little kisses in the presence of their target. Slipping into their quarters just as her shirt covers the soft skin of her back while she's changing into her bed clothes. Being chased for days upon days upon days. Seeking shelter behind a waterfall in the middle of July, so hot you could barely breathe. Watching her as she slipped off her clothing and preformed a flawless dive into the cool pool of water in their little haven. The way she looked at him when she surfaced. The way the water dripped off of her skin as she got out of the pool.

He looks at her now, sitting blissfully ignorant on the stool, eating ramen with her idiot of a best friend, and the want within him threatens to bring him to his knees. He frowns, turns, and leaves. He can't look back. It would show weakness.

_**You need her.**_

She's breathing hard, sweat is beaded on her forehead. It's not large, her forehead, and he doesn't know why she used to get teased so much for it. He likes her forehead, he decides, as her forehead protector catches a glint of sun. Her form is admirable as she twists to avoid enemy kunai. Her strong arm comes down, breaking the earth where she stands.

It's a different day they stand together along the road. She has pocky in her hand and even though she knows he probably he doesn't want any, she'll offer it to him anyway. She is prepared though, and when he rejects, she'll hand him a tomato. She's grinning at the look in his eye when she produces the red fruit from behind her back and holds it out.

It's perfectly round, a bright fire truck red, the color of blood, the color of his fighting eyes. There is a grass green stem with the tiniest of leaves sprouting from it and he can see a single drop of water resting on the ripe red outer skin. As he takes it from her hand and brings it to his mouth, he can see the contentment in her face. It puzzles him to see how much pleasure she gets from the simple gestures that please him now and then.

Time has changed, and she is lying by his side. He knows his lungs are filling up with blood and that soon, he won't be able to breathe. He will drown in his own blood and there will be nothing he can do to stop it. She looks unreasonably calm for someone about to see their teammate die. His sharingan is activated and he can see her so clearly, so perfectly, that he is awestruck. A glint of pale green floats into his vision, giving a green glow to her lovely skin. His pain is receding and he knows she is chasing it away.

_**You had her.**_

Her hands are moving as she explains something and he knows he should listen to what she's saying but he's too busy looking at her mouth. Her teeth glint out like white Chiclets against her magenta lips.

Her mouth curves down into a frown and he doesn't know why until he realizes she's noticed. He covers himself by dousing her with a glare and turning away. He hears her sigh of resignation and listens to her foot steps as they get farther away. He doesn't know what the deal is, but he seems to be more focused on her than ever before.

He bumps into her at the grocery store and she drops her apples. Quietly he bends and picks them up for her, then hands them to her gently. He can see the surprise in her eyes, the confusion. He knows he should never let his shock get the best of him.

They are in a bar and their teammate is between them, smiling and red-faced, breath soured with sake. The blonde's grinning like he always is and he asks _her_ to dance. She agrees, her own eyes glazed over with alcohol and they stumble towards the dance floor.

His obsidian eyes watch them possessively; he is ready to jump in at any moment. Thankfully, the song ends before he decides to interrupt and she comes back without her partner and sits down. He almost starts up a conversation but decides against it. Everything is too risky and he's never been in this situation before. He's always been the one who was under control. Never the one wondering.

He is walking her home in the dark, their tummies still full of beer, and she is stumbling and he is tired, and they both decide they want to sit down. He finds it easier to talk when he doesn't know what he's saying and he's sure she won't remember it later. She will though, so for now she will just absorb the words and think about them when she's alone.

His hands are hungry for more contact; her eyes are searching for emotion. Muscles contracting, aching, legs intertwined, mouths connecting, tongues fighting, noses touching. She's panting, he's shuffling, she's smiling, he's groaning, she's breathing, he's sliding, she's leaning, he's being, she's sighing, he's trying, she's hearing, he's moving, she's laughing, he's _feeling._

Words are spoken so quietly, they are almost unheard. Comprehension and understanding fill him as he realizes he _could_ love her. Her eyes are warm as she bids him goodbye, he finds comfort in the fact that she'll be back tomorrow.

_**You lost her.**_

Two years have gone by and he is frowning and she is crying and he is pretending he doesn't care. He wants to think that her tears have no affect on him, and that they never have and never will but he knows that he is just lying to himself. Her green eyes are watery and even though he hates to hurt her, he will do it anyway. He has to.

He can see the scar on her eyebrow from when they were messing around and she tripped on the rug and caught the edge of the coffee table. He can see the sparkling amber she wears in her ears that he got her for her birthday the year before. He can smell the scent of soap emanating from her skin. The same soap that's in his shower.

She's saying she doesn't understand what's going on, that everything had been fine. He knows she is right and that he is just afraid to get too attached. He loves her and he doesn't think he has a right to. She deserves better, doesn't she know?

So he is yelling at her and she's yelling back and he turns away and she's calling him names and he barks that she's annoying, and then there's only silence. He wonders why the past has so much weight to it. When he considers apologizing and turns around, she is already gone. He's not sure what to do; so he doesn't do anything.

When he finally figures out that she_ is_ what he wants…

He goes to her house only to find that she isn't home. He checks the market, the training grounds, the hospital, peers into the Yamanaka's flower shop and even looks at Naruto's house. He doesn't find her anywhere and figures she must be avoiding him. With a sigh, he turns to go home. He can wait another day. They have all the time in the world left to make up and fix things.

Just as he turns to leave, Inuzuka Kiba and his overly large mutt, Akamaru go bolting past him at a ridiculous rate of speed. He grumbles at them and Kiba yells that every member of their graduating class is to go to the Hokage tower immediately.

His hope is renewed as he knows Sakura will have been called too. He makes his way up to the Hokage's office, eager to see what the big emergency was. He's just little curious to see if maybe his brother had been sighted… and even more curious to see _her_…

"_I am sorry to inform you," The blonde woman says, her voice cracking, "that Haruno Sakura has been killed in action on a mission in the land of Waves…"_

It's too late.

She's gone.

_**& she's not coming back.**_

* * *

Yes, I know. How terrible of me. I haven't updated in ages and this is what I choose to tide you over with. Blegh.

I've been busy lately, and I will continue to be busy, for it is my last year of high school and I am dreading it with my heels dug into the ground. ;) Gimme a break. Review?


	43. The Letter

Disc: Yeah, still no.

A/N: Yeah, we're gonna pretend that Sasuke knows nothing about Itachi being commissioned by the council to kill his own clan, or that they were trying to begin a war. Also, nothing about him joining Akatsuki after he defeats Itachi and destroying Konoha. And if you didn't know about any of that, oops. My bad. ;P

* * *

She was still standing there, her face deathly pale, as if she had never seen the sun in her life. Her eyes were locked on the note in her hand, and her body was tense, rigid with disbelief, with fear. Her mouth, whose lips were usually a lovely shade of dampened salmon, were cracked, dry and opened just a touch to allow a glimpse of her straight white teeth and pink tongue. Her cerise hair blew out of her face to reveal her grass-green eyes. They were flat and partially reddened, bloodshot. Her hands were frozen, knuckles thick with shock.

The words on the paper had shaken her beyond anything else ever had. Her heart beat was erratic, her face shined with a light sweat. Her eyelashes fluttered when the wind blew, and she could barely hold a scream in.

This was _not_ right.

As quickly as she could manage in her shock, she stood. Her legs wobbled a bit underneath her before she collapsed into the grass again and started to breathe heavily for a few moments, before the sound of air surging into her lungs was all but gone.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

Though he was as loud as ever, Sakura barely heard him. Her eyes were still transfixed on the letter in her hand, her mouth a gape, her hands shaking.

"Sakura?"

Blonde hair. That's all she could see. It was right in her face, the color of straw, brighter even. She could see the strands moving individually, each one swaying with the wind. Blue then clouded her vision and it took her far too long to realize it was Naruto staring into her face. She couldn't hear anything. It was all mixed together to create silence, like a buzzing noise in her ears.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She couldn't answer anyway, her throat was too dry. And if it hadn't been, she didn't know what she would've said. Surely not, 'Yes, I'm just peachy.' Thankfully, she didn't have to explain why she was crumpled in on herself on her front lawn. Naruto had noticed the letter and began to read it, he too frozen in his place, crouched next to her.

Her day had started out normally.

She woke up, ate, then went to train for three hours before coming home to shower and eat lunch. Sushi.

Once she had finished, she had washed the dishes. While doing dishes, she kept reminding herself to do something, but by the time she was done she had forgotten what it was and decided against doing a bit of laundry, instead heading down to the Hokage's office to get her paycheck from Shizune, which she then took to the market.

After she had done that, she had put what little food she had bought in her scarcely filled cabinets. From there, she'd remembered what she'd forgotten: her mail. She had gone to get it from the scripts building and had been in the process of opening it when she came down her street. She had saved the letter for last, not recognizing the scrawl and was a bit curious that it had no return destination or indicated any identification. Just a faded off-white pallet, folded over. No wax stamp. Nothing. She had opened her front gate and started down the front walk when she read the first line.

She had frozen, completely, and was able to move nothing but her eyes and lips, mouthing the words as her eyes scanned the parchment.

_By the time you receive this, I will be dead._

The letter had begun with no introduction, no 'Dear Sakura,' or 'Hey, how are you?'. Nope. Just those ten little words that had alerted her that something was very, _very_ wrong.

_I will have faced Itachi and prevailed in my quest to destroy him, but I will also have destroyed myself to achieve this success._

There was obviously only one person who it could have been written by, though she dared not to skip to the bottom of the letter, where she would no doubtfully find a name scrawled in farewell, without reading the entire thing.

_It is not a sad thing, at least I doubt it will be. It is what I deserve, after all. I am a traitor to my village and I have taken the lives of many people, good as well as bad. I ordered Karin, who knows not what this letter contains, and also knows next to nothing about me, to send this to my pre-advised destination once my chakra signature had died out into nothing, when I breathed no more, blinked no more, felt no more._

Sakura knew vaguely of Karin, a member of Team Snake or Team Hawk or whatever the hell they had decided their name was going to be. But to think that _he_ trusted her enough to send something as final as a death note, was making her stomach churn. It meant that Karin was alive. It meant that _he_ was not.

_Yes, I feel. Not only anger and hate and determination, either. It is true that I worked to portray only those emotions the last many years we have been apart, and even when we were together, as a team. That is because I knew that with feelings of hope, selflessness and even love, that I would not make it to this final battle with my brother. That he would kill me before I was anywhere close to victory. Those feelings would hold me back, distract me from my promise of vengeance. A promise I needed desperately to keep for the honor of my clan, killed so wrongly so long ago. So I shut them out._

She didn't know what to do, how to react. She didn't think her brain was working right. No, she was still lying fast asleep in her bedroom, her alarm going off annoyingly, though unable to hear it while stuck inside this disturbing nightmare. There was no letter. There wasn't _allowed_ to _be_ a letter. Not from him. Not from Sasuke.

_I apologize._

_It was also with thoughts of you, Kakashi and the Dobe, that I took my leave. No doubt you would all try to step in between me and the source of my orphan-hood, my very own brother, to try to protect me._

_Protection._

_I knew well that if I needed protection, I would never beat him. I would never win, and I would never accomplish what I could not rest until I achieved._

He was right of course. They all would've demanded to be beside him. Helping him. They would have had his back. They would have done anything to keep him safe. He was their teammate. Their fourth quarter, he made them whole. He was a part of them.

_I could not have you there, any of you, trying to save me from him. I needed people with me that were powerful but _didn't care_ whether I lived or died, and vice versa. I couldn't care about the people that moved with me to strike. He would take them out one by one to break me, and it would have worked, if it had been the three of you._

She understood, grudgingly so. But he had been wrong. They could have worked as a team! Everyone could have survived! She was still frozen in shock. 'Sasuke's dead, Sasuke's dead.' Her mind could barely comprehend much else, aside from the words that were pouring off the script into her heart.

_When my family died, I cared for nothing and for no one. I wanted one thing out of life- to kill my murdering brother. The quickest way to achieve this goal was to become a ninja, a strong intelligent ninja, one that would make my parents proud, and fight him to the death. I knew I could do it. My family had been strong, and their blood ran through me, icy and hot all the same. Their talents and conviction was now my own._

_Though I knew of the teams, I had counted on remaining unattached. I see now that it was foolish to believe I would be able to keep you out. The Dobe with his dedication… Kakashi with his talent and wisdom… and you, with your _annoying_ persistence. I am grateful for it now, though I was not back then. _

Though her eyes were dry, she felt as if she were crying. Her eyes were burning with tears that she could not shed, and her heart felt as if it would pop. This was happening way too fast, and way too late. She could not save him now. Naruto could not save him.

_I write this now to give all of you closure. It is what you deserve. Your strength and skill has been in my veins my entire journey. Though I acted cold and unafraid to take your lives, you had to think that I did not care. You could not keep looking, keep following. You had to stay away for your own safety. Your dedication and determination has kept me at my best, unbreakable until the fated day. All of you kept me sane when I thought I would not claw my way through._

She tried to stand, desperate to get to him somehow, prove this letter a lie. She could live with his hatred, with his icy demeanor, with him being a traitor, even. Out and about with a team that replaced them, doing criminal things. Chasing after him determined to put sense into the mess that was his head. Crawling after him through dead snake guts and running through endless forests. But dead? Her head was beating so fast she couldn't count the beats. She could not stay on her feet. Her eyes had blurred, and by the time she could read again, Naruto had been by her side, eyes confused as he read the words that were slowly killing her.

_You will always be my comrades._

_My teammates._

_My family._

_Thank you._

_-Sasuke._

As Naruto finished the letter, he turned to her, his eyes bright with tears. Together, one word was spoken as he crumpled, they both crumpled, into each other.

"…_No_."

* * *

Yep, I'm a bitch. Review for me?


	44. Homecoming

Disclaimer: I wish.  
A/N: Yes, this is a threesome pairing. It's not graphic like past ones have been, it's just a pointless one-shot/drabble that you should read and enjoy :)

* * *

She sighed for the billionth time in the last twenty-five minutes. How long had it been since they'd left? Days? Weeks? …Years? No, definitely not that long, that was an over-exaggeration. It felt like forever, though.

She forced herself to pay attention to the task at hand. Cleaning. She'd been cleaning all day. Ever since they'd left on the mission she'd been working overtime at the hospital, not wanting to come home to an empty house. But Tsunade had forced her to take a few days off and relax.

Of course she had argued.

"People are sick, and hurt. If I can be here to help out, why complain?"

"Don't back sass me," Tsunade grumbled, "Go home. Now."

"But Tsunade-sama—"

"I said go home, Sakura! You've been working non-stop. Get out of here before I throw you out onto the street myself."

She'd left Sakura standing in the main waiting room with every person in the vicinity staring at her. Sakura had curled into herself and sulked out onto the street towards her empty home.

She couldn't sleep in the bed.

It smelled like them- the two of them. So different, yet so alike. She could barely go in there. She'd made up her own bed on the couch that was rarely used- sitting lonely in the living room. It was black faux leather- it squeaked when she moved. But it was better than lying in the bed, surrounded by them. Their scents reminding her that she was alone. That they were out there without her, possibly bleeding or dying… She was aching just to see them again.

She clenched her teeth as the tip of a steak knife nicked her pointer finger. She pulled her hand from the soapy water and snapped her gaze away from the window where she'd been staring instead of paying attention to washing the dishes like she had intended to do.

She missed them.

She missed them more than anyone could imagine.

She needed them. And this loneliness had settled in her heart, and it was burning her. She wanted to claw it out, throw it away. She wanted to breathe again. She wanted to smile and mean it.

She watched as a bead of blood formed over the cut, the scarlet welling to the surface of her skin. Red like Sasuke's sharingan. The sharingan that consumed him, compromised the part of him that was still good- that still cared. Red like the Kyuubi's chakra that seeped out of Naruto's skin. That threatened his humanity, his life. Red like her broken heart. Torn and bleeding and alone. Red was a bad color, she decided. Red reminded her of things she didn't want to think about.

She frowned, her other hand coming to rest over top of the cut, glowing sea foam green with healing chakra. She felt the cut seal, disappear. If only that same healing chakra could seal her loneliness away.

She turned back to the dishes, washing the offending steak knife carefully. Her hand swiped across the last plate in the sink, rinsed it and then placed it in the strainer. She pulled the stopper out of the drain and washed her hands off, glancing out the window. She thought she felt something- a flicker?

The same backyard she had been staring at for the last few hours looked exactly the same. There was nothing there; the grass was still an intense green from all of her lawn maintenance, flowers at full bloom in the small flower garden she had planted off to the side of their wooden swing. The swing itself was swaying gently in the wind.

Sakura sighed, turning towards the kitchen doorway and walking out into the living room, settling herself onto the couch. She had been wearing it in, finally. She curled up, grabbing a boring book off the coffee table and opened it up.

Only two sentences in, she felt yet another flicker of something…but what? She put the book down and stood abruptly, turning towards the back door. Everything was quiet. She moved slowly, in a slight crouch, picking a kunai up off the corner table. Her chakra was already suppressed, it was an old habit. Her footsteps were silent as she reached the door, glancing around the edge of the doorframe. The yard looked exactly the same.

But something was wrong.

She stood, staring out into the yard for a moment before she realized. There was no wind. And if there was no wind, how had the swing been swaying? Her heart began to race, her body going into ultimate defense mode. She twisted the kunai in her hand, tightening her grasp. Her eyes scanned the yard, her chakra subtly searching for any other chakra signatures in the area.

She could feel her neighbors; she could feel the people at the market down the street. She could feel the cat in Ino's mother's flower box a few houses over. But nothing in her yard, front or back, stood out.

She turned, still tense, only to be tackled out the door, the wind knocked out of her. She reacted immediately, raising the kunai and bringing it up in a sweeping arc. It met flesh quickly, cutting in with a squelch.

"OY, SAKURA-CHAN!!" An orange blob was flailing on top of her, tanned hands trying to stop the blood flow, "YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!"

Sakura remained still, her shoulders tense, her eyes wide. Sasuke appeared in the door way, his expression nonchalant, almost annoyed, "Dobe, what the hell is your problem? You know better than to sneak up on a ninja."

Naruto made a short sound of contempt before looking down at Sakura with his large blue eyes, "I didn't sneak! Oh, I think she nicked an artery. I'm gonna die! I'm gonna bleed out!"

"You're not gonna die, idiot."

The shock had slowly worn off, followed by a muted awe, "You're home."

The boys stared at her and a warm smile developed on Naruto's face, "Well, yeah, Sakura-chan. You think we weren't coming back?"

Sakura had the gall to look slightly embarrassed, "Well, you've been gone a long time…"

Sasuke sighed, "You're right. We wanted to come home sooner but we've had a lot of shit to go through."

Naruto clambered off of her, rolling onto the grass and sitting up. He looked at her, over taken by how sad she had looked when he had first seen her standing in the door way, tensed and defensive.

"I've missed you," Sakura whispered.

The boys blinked, both surprised by the intensity in her eyes. Naruto and Sasuke both glanced at each other with blank faces.

"Uh, Sakura-chan? …I'm still bleeding."

Sakura looked sheepish, "Oops."

Her hand reached towards him, already pulsing with a green glow. She placed it over the wound and felt it knit the skin, sealing away his blood, repairing the nerve endings and chasing away the pain. She let out a sigh as she pulled away, her eyes on the ground.

"We love you, Sakura-chan," Naruto's voice was quiet; Sakura could hear the birds chirping in the background.

"You haven't been sleeping in the bed," Sasuke's revelation pierced the air around them and Naruto frowned, his brow furrowing.

"What? Why?"

Sasuke and Naruto both waited for Sakura to answer; she didn't, "I want to go inside."

She stood up, emphasizing her desire to walk away from the conversation. She brushed past the two boys, closing herself off to the ones she had yearned to come home. Their eyes followed her, Naruto's filled with confusion and Sasuke's with concern. Naruto got to his feet and he glanced down at his torn and now blood stained jacket, fingering the frayed edge.

"Why hasn't she slept in the bed, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment longer than Naruto would've liked. His eyes were still trained on the door way where Sakura had disappeared when he finally answered, "She's been thinking that we weren't coming back. The bedroom reminds her of us. I can guarantee you that she hasn't been very social lately. She's probably been distracting herself for months now. Probably from the very day we left until today."

The whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks became stark against his skin as he grew angry, "This happens every time."

"I know."

"But why?" Naruto whirled on Sasuke, his stomach churning, "It's like she's depressed! Why the hell is she always depressed! It fucking kills me every time I look at her."

"Because every time someone leaves, there's a chance they won't come back."

Naruto sighed; Sasuke was right. He glanced at the dark-haired Uchiha one last time before disappearing into the house after their pink-haired kunoichi. Sasuke remained where he was, turning his head so he could forlornly stare out over the flower garden that hadn't been there when he had left.

The buds were in full bloom, reaching for the sky where the sun was no longer resting. They reminded him of his child hood, when his mother had planted a flower garden in their back yard. Itachi and Sasuke had both been recruited to help her, but they had done more fooling around than helping. Sasuke had planted a single flower bulb and his mother had done more of the work, her hands around his, helping him scoop out a hole for the flower. Then helping him place it gently, directing him to bury it and pat the dirt on top to pack it down. Mikoto had been fine with that though- she had really only wanted the company of her boys. And after they had planted the bulbs, they had danced around the garden, the three of them, laughing and singing and smiling.

The sky cast a dim pinkish light over the yard, and Sasuke finally turned and went inside the house after his teammates. But they were so much more than teammates now. So much more than friends. More than lovers.

They were each other's world.

And he would do anything to keep them happy. Anything.


	45. It Hurts

A/N: So, the ending is lame but I am tapped out at the moment. And yes, I know I haven't updated but it's my senior year and I'm dying here. haha. So enjoy what I've come up with for now :) It went in a completely different direction than I had originally planned...

Disc: And as usual, Naruto does not belong to me, nor do any of the characters that have been used in this drabble :p

* * *

"It hurts, it hurts!" The screams were deafening.

One hand fisting the red shirt on her chest, she screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed. Tears ran down her face in an explosion of emotion, sobs wracking her frame, the knees of her black shinobi-issue spandex pressed deeply into the soft dirt underneath her. She pounded the ground with a fist and hit a rock, its jagged edge cutting into her pinky. She hissed, groaning and tore herself off the ground, stumbling forward. She let out another scream, "Oh Kami, it hurts!"

There was nothing around- no one. It was just her, the earth and the sky. The birds had flown noisily out of the trees with her first earsplitting shriek. The trees and the grass were swaying in the wind of the oncoming thunder storm. It whistled through the long grass, blowing stray pieces about. Her hair blew across her tear stained face, sticking to the rivers on her cheeks and going into her mouth. She let out a moan of despair and she removed the hair from her face before collapsing back onto the ground.

And then the rain finally came.

It was light at first, sprinkling her clothes, speckling her eyelids. Her rosette locks grew heavy with water. She turned her face to the sky and it began to pour, the rain drops pounding down, washing her clean. She let out a breathy sigh of misery, swallowing a heaving sob. Green eyes blinked up at the clouds, closing every few seconds against the rainfall. The dirt around her began to turn to mud and she dropped her hands in it, pushing her fingers deeply into the earth.

Another thunderous scream shook the valley.

Seconds later, a head of water darkened yellow hair appeared along the trees. Blue eyes centered on the collapsed figure in the grass and the frown on his lips deepened. His hands began to shake, eyes began to water.

"Sakura-chan?"

She didn't respond, didn't hear, just dropped her face from the sky. Other than the brief motion, she seemed lifeless.

He moved quickly, speed a subconscious benefit. His own pants were becoming darker, his orange shirt sticking to his skin, his muscles rubbing against the wet material. He bent down in the mud, not touching her. He brought his eyes up to hers.

"It hurts," She said, her small top teeth worrying her bottom lip, "Naruto, it really hurts."

His hand moved up, brushing wet strands of hair from her forehead as the rain continued to fall, "Nani?"

"I feel like my heart is breaking."

"I feel it, too," His voice cracked.

"I'm just so sad…and empty. I don't even have the comfort of hope."

His arms came around her, pulling her through the sodden earth surrounding them and into his embrace. Their tears began to mix together. Their pain was the same, they both suffered, they both hurt.

"He's safe now Sakura-chan."

"Safe?" She asked, her muddy hands clawing at his chest. Her cracked lips moved furiously, "Safe?!"

"Hai," Naruto answered quietly, tears still slipping down his cheeks, the skin marred with whisker scars, "Safe. Safe from the pain he constantly suffered. The pain his pride made him think he needed to hide, safe from the ridicule, the betrayal. He's fucking safe now. Safe from hate and rage and sorrow. Safe from the disgust he felt for himself when he realized what he had done! What he had become! Death healed him, Sakura-chan. Death saved him."

"Death saved him? Death healed him? No! Death took him from us!" She spat, pushing away from the pained Uzamaki, "Death stole him away! _We_ could have saved him, we could have kept him safe! He needed us, Naruto! He needed us and we weren't there!"

She stood up, water dripping off of her, mud caked on her clothes. Her expression was a mixture of pain and fury. Her eyes were dark and teary, hands fisted into lethal balls.

"Sakura!"

She turned and began to run back to the village, breaking trees and cracking earth as she went. She was fast when she was pissed, and Naruto slid to his feet and took off after her, knowing that unless he used the kyuubi he wouldn't be able to catch her.

She was going to kill someone. And it would probably be Danzo, the old fool. But he wasn't worried about Danzo. He was worried about Sakura. Killing Danzo would turn the elders against her, she would be put away, possibly executed.

His feet beat down on the wet ground as he jumped to avoid broken chunks of muddy earth. The rain was beating down on him, but he had to stop her. He entered the village- the gate was cracked. Not a good sign. The guards were tense, staring off into the distance.

"Do we attack?" The guard's voice was loud to be heard over the pouring rain.

"That was Sakura-san."

"What do we do?"

"I don't know."

He moved quickly, towards the ROOT base. Water was dripping into his eyes and he quickly wiped at it. His heart was racing as he moved his hands in to the position to create a shadow clone. It popped up before him, nodding at him and racing off towards the Hokage's tower. It would get Baa-chan. He could see her pink, dripping hair up ahead. She disappeared into the building, glowing with angry chakra.

"Sakura-chan!"

He burst through the door, tense and ready to take whatever blow she was about to lay on Danzo. She was standing by a table and Danzo was seated at the end of it, sneering at her. Her hands were glowing green, and though he knew she could heal with them, they could also be deadly. Cutting nerve endings, paralyzing, messing up sensitive capillaries and veins.

"You are a piece of _shit_," She hissed, leaning into his face, "How dare you?"

"He was a defect and he needed to be dealt with," Danzo said calmly, looking at her cooly, "I did what was best for Konoha."

She laughed, the sound was empty and brittle. "You did what you needed to do to cover up your bullshit! Your lies and your hypocrisy and your conspiracies!"

"You could never prove that," He smiled.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto's voice was quiet, hesitant.

She didn't turn, kept her eyes on Danzo, "I was wondering when you'd say something."

"You can't kill him," Naruto said slowly.

"Oh, yes I can."

"No," Danzo spoke, his eyes crinkling, "You can't."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Naruto growled, annoyed that the man had the nerve to even speak, "You're a liar and you deserve to be killed in the most painful way possible. You deserve to have every part of your body stripped of skin. I want to kill you myself. But I can't. And she can't either. Because it will ruin her. Just like killing Itachi ruined Sasuke."

"That boy had no family, no loyalty and no one needed him around. He was a traitor. Uchiha Sasuke was nothing," Danzo spat, his eyes darkening.

Sakura moved faster than Naruto could and she had her hands around Danzo's neck before he could blink. She stared into his face as she lifted him off the ground, "Sasuke wasn't _nothing_, you worthless old man. Sasuke was more than you could ever be. He was cared for. He was loved. Sasuke was loyal, unlike you! He was part of our _team_. Part of this village. _We_ were his family. And you took him from us! You executed him while we were away because you were a coward! You have always been a coward! You disgust me."

A moment passed and Tsunade stepped silently into the room, her eyes taking in the situation, small worry wrinkles forming around the purple diamond on her forehead. She frowned, eyes catching Naruto's for only a second before her lips opened, "Sakura."

Sakura just gripped Danzo's neck tighter and squinted her eyes at him as he gasped for air, "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"As much as it pains me to do this, I'm ordering you to put Danzo down."

"I can't," Sakura's voice was just empty. Naruto whimpered.

"I refuse to allow you to do this. I will not have you in one of my prisons, Sakura. Put him down and I will deal with him."

"How could you let him give the order? You're the Hokage. You are. How could you let him take Sasuke from us? It hurts, Tsunade-sama. It hurts."

"I know," Tsunade whispered, taking a step forward, "I know it does."

Sakura flinched, but squeezed a little tighter, her fingernails cutting into the skin on Danzo's neck. Little bubbles of blood began to form and trail down his neck and onto his clothing.

"Baa-chan…" Naruto mumbled.

"I didn't know about the order, Sakura. I didn't know about the execution."

"How could you not know?" Her hands gripped a little tighter, she could feel Danzo's struggling wind pipe beneath her fingers. His life was in her hands…literally.

Another person stepped into the room and a dark voice clearly said one word, "Sakura."

She froze. Her fingers went limp and she dropped Danzo on the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto turned at the same time Sakura did, and they both stared. He stood there, eyes dark, hands in his pockets, shoulders straight.

"But…you're supposed to be dead," Danzo hissed.

"I didn't know, but I was able to stop it in time," Tsunade's voice was low, her eyes hard as she looked at Danzo.

"You're here," Sakura's eyes locked with Sasuke's, then Naruto's, then Sasuke's again. "You're really here."

"Alive," Naruto's voice was low.

Outside, the rain began to slow and the sun peaked out from behind the gray clouds. The sun caught Sakura's green eyes and she watched as it stretched to be seen. Slowly, a smile slipped upon her lips. And she felt hope.


End file.
